Bribery allegation: Buhari dragged to court

– A non-governmental organization has dragged President Buhari, Amaechi and Onu to court

– The NGO prayed the court to compel DSS and EFCC to investigate allegation that Amaechi and Onu attempted to induce Justices of the Supreme Court to subvert the cause of justice

– The suit dated October 31 is yet to be assigned to any judge for hearing

A non-governmental organization under the aegis of Incorporated Trustees of Kingdom Human Rights Foundation International has dragged President Muhammadu Buhari to court over bribery allegation against the Minister of Transport Rotimi Amaechi and his counterpart in Science and Technology Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu.

In a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/857/2016, the group on Monday, October 31, asked the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court to issue an order of mandamus compelling President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately sack Amaechi and Onu, Vanguard reports.

The group equally prayed the court to compel the Department of State Security Service (DSS) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate allegation that the two ministers attempted to induce Justices of the Supreme Court to subvert the cause of justice.

READ ALSO: Bribe allegation: APC issues 7-day ultimatum to Justice Okoro

Cited as 1st to 5th Defendants in the suit were Amaechi, Onu, the DSS, EFCC and President Buhari, respectively.

The plaintiff through its lawyer, Okere Nnamdi, is praying the court to determine, “Whether or not the allegation made by two Justices of the Supreme Court namely Inyang Okoro and Nwali Sylvester Ngwuta in connection with the criminal-like invasion of their houses by agents of the State Security Service on alleged allegation of corruption, which matter is already in public domain should be investigated and those accused arrested and prosecuted by the 3rd and 4th Defendants.

“Whether or not the allegation made by two Justices of the Supreme Court namely Inyang Okoro and Nwali Sylvester Ngwuta in connection with the criminal-like invasion of their houses by agents of the State Security Service on alleged allegation of corruption, which matter is already in public domain, is a reasonable ground to warrant the 5th Defendant who is the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and who claims that his administration is fighting corruption, to sack or compel the 1st and 2nd defendants to resign from office as Ministers, pending when they are cleared of every allegation of corruption.

“Whether or not the 3rd, 4th and 5th Defendants have failed to perform their constitutional and statutory mandates by failing to: (a) for the 3rd and 4th defendants to commence investigation, arrest and prosecute the 1st and 2nd defendants in this suit based on the allegation by two Justices of the Supreme Court, namely Inyang Okoro and Nwali Sylvester Ngwuta; and (b) for the 5th defendant by refusing to sack the 1st and 2nd defendants as Ministers pending when they are cleared of every allegation of corruption.”

Upon determination of the questions, the plaintiff wants a declaration that the allegations made against Ameachi and Onu are “grievous enough to warrant their arrest, investigation and prosecution by the 3rd and 4th defendants.

“A declaration of the court that allegations against the Ministers are grievous enough to warrant their removal from office without any further delay by the 5th Defendant (President Buhari) who was also accused to have sent the 1st defendant (Amaechi) on the mission to ensure that the All Progressives Congress (APC) wins all their governorship election cases at all costs and by all means.

“A declaration that the allegation made against the 1st and 2nd defendants by the two Justices of the Supreme Court of Nigeria as deposed in the affidavit in support of this application, and the refusal of the 5th defendant to sack the 1st and 2nd defendants are grievous enough to conclude that the 5th defendant’s fight against corruption is window-dressing, witch-hunt, selective, high handed, vindictive, malicious and prosecuted with gross disregard to the rule of law.

“An order of mandamus compelling the 3rd and 4th defendants (DSS and EFCC) to immediately and without further delay whatsoever, arrest, investigate and prosecute the 1st and 2nd defendants in this suit, based on the allegations of corruption and attempt to induce or bribe the Justices of the Supreme Court, in other to influence/induce them to subvert the cause of justice.

“As well as an order of mandamus compelling the 5th defendant to immediately and without any further delay whatsoever sack or cause the 1st and 2nd defendants to resign from offices as Minister of Transport and Minister of Science and Technology (respectively) without any further delay on the ground of public interest, public morality and to unable the 3rd and 4th defendants speedily carry out their statutory responsibility of arresting and prosecuting the 1st and 2nd defendants, based on the allegations of Hon. Justice Nwali Sylvester Ngwuta and Hon. Justice Inyang Okoro.”

READ ALSO: It’s a plot to destroy me – Amaechi on Justice Ngwuta’s claim

However, the suit dated October 31 is yet to be assigned to any judge for hearing.

Justice Ngwuta, in a letter dated October 18, which he forwarded to the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mahmud Mohammed and the National Judicial Council (NJC), had accused Rotimi Amaechi, the minister of transport and Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, minister of technology, as those that approached him on behalf of the APC, to help pervert justice in the governorship election cases involving Ekiti, Rivers and Ebonyi states.

Ngwuta, said Ameachi begged him to facilitate the removal of Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti state, adding that shortly after the Supreme Court affirmed the election of Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state, Amaechi also called him on phone and said “Oga is not happy”.

Justice Ngwuta’s claim came barely three days after Justice John Inyang Okoro, also a Supreme Court Judge, alleged that Amaechi, reached out to him over election appeal cases for Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Abia states.

But Amaechi denied the allegation, saying the judge concocted the claim in order to politicize the issue of his arrest.

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