Should you be locked up simply because your equipment was hired by the wrong people? One Port Harcourt lawyer says that is exactly what has happened to his client.

A Port Harcourt lawyer is asking hard questions about how police are handling a high profile fraud case in Rivers State.

Barrister Arong Emmanuel told cbinews.tv that his client, businessman Prince Charles Alozie, and two of his employees are being prosecuted over an alleged ₦194 million equipment fraud, despite what he calls a lack of direct evidence linking them to the crime.

According to Arong, the men run a legitimate equipment hire business. Their only role, he said, was showing their machines to potential clients. Yet now they are facing charges of conspiracy, fraud and internet related offences because those machines were allegedly used in a scam.

“Owning equipment that someone else misuses does not make you a criminal,” Arong told cbinews.tv. “So why are the owners in the dock while the real masterminds are still the main focus of investigation?”

The lawyer insists that the police must work within the law. He pointed to Sections 34, 35 and 36 of the 1999 Constitution, which protect dignity, personal liberty and the presumption of innocence. He also referenced the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, noting that arrests should be based on credible evidence, not suspicion or association.

Arong said his client did the right thing. Prince Charles Alozie honoured a police invitation from the State Criminal Investigation Department and cooperated fully. But instead of being allowed to go home, he was detained while enquiries continued.

“That is troubling,” Arong said. “Detention should never replace proper investigation. Every suspect is innocent until a court says otherwise.”

For Arong, the case sets a worrying precedent. Business owners who have already lost money and reputation because their property was misused are now standing trial alongside the actual suspects. The matter is now before the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt.

Still, the lawyer says he trusts the courts to get it right. “We are not against punishing real offenders,” he explained to cbinews.tv. “We just do not want innocent people dragged in. The justice system only works when it punishes the guilty and protects the innocent.”

cbinews.tv reached out to the Rivers State Police Command for comment. Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Agabe Blessing Kaborlo, declined to speak on the case and requested a detailed brief from the lawyer. That brief had not been provided at the time of filing this report.

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