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Tag: Mike Ozekhome

  • Alleged forgery: Court AGF takes over Ozekhome’s case from ICPC

    Alleged forgery: Court AGF takes over Ozekhome’s case from ICPC

    •Ex-AGF Agabi leads 15 SANs for defence

    The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has taken over the prosecution of the criminal case brought against Mike Ozekhome (SAN) by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC).

    The development yesterday stalled the planned arraignment of the lawyer at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on the three-count charge filed against him by the ICPC, in which he is accused, among others, of forgery.

    When the case was called, the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF), Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), said he was representing the AGF and informed the court of the minister’s decision to take over the case from the ICPC.

    Oyedepo said the AGF was acting within his powers, as provided for in Section 174 of the Constitution, in collaboration with the ICPC.

    The DPPF said the AGF’s decision was informed by the need to ensure that the prosecution complies with the highest standard of effectiveness, efficiency, diligence, and compliance with due process of law.

    He added that the AGF was guided by public interest to instill confidence, fairness, and competence in the criminal justice.

    Oyedepo told the court that the interagency cooperation in the fight against corruption was also considered by the AGF in taking over the case 

    The lawyer assured the court that the rights of the defendant would be protected, adding that no party would suffer any injustice.

    Oyedepo subsequently asked the court to take judicial notice of the formal takeover of the trial by the office of the AGF.

    He sought an adjournment to enable the AGF’s office to retrieve the case file from the ICPC, review the same and decide on what next steps to take.

    ICPC’s lawyer, Osuebeni Akpomisingha (who filed the charge), did not object to the takeover of the case by the AGF.

    Akpomisingha assured that the ICPC, as the agency that investigated the case, would fully cooperate with the AGF’s office in prosecuting the case.

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    A former AGF, Kanu Agabi (SAN), who led a team of lawyers (comprising 15 SANs) for the defence, also did not object to the takeover of the case by Fagbemi.

    Following Oyedepo’s application for an adjournment, which Agabi did not oppose, Justice Peter Kekemeke adjourned till February 24 for the arraignment.

    Some counts in the charge read:

    * That you Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN (M) ’68 years’ of Numberc 53, Nile Street, Maitama, Abuja, sometime in August 2021 or thereabout at a place outside Nigeria, that is, London, directly received house 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX purportedly given to you by one Mr. Shani Tali, an act you knew constitutes a felony and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 13 and punishable under section 24 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences, Act, 2000.

    * That you Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN (m) ’68 years’ of Number 53, Nile Street, Maitama, Abuja, sometime in August 2021 or thereabout at Abuja, while being a legal practitioner and senior advocate of Nigeria did make a false document, to wit: Nigeria passport A07535463 bearing the name of Mr. Shani Tali with intent to use same to support claim of ownership of property known and described as 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX with intent to commit fraud and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 363 and punishable under section 364 of the Penal Code CAP 532 laws of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, 2006.

    * That you Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN (M) ’68 years’ of Number 53, Nile Street, Maitama, Abuja, sometime in August 2021 or thereabout at Abuja, while being a legal practitioner and senior advocate of Nigeria dishonestly used as genuine a false Nigeria passport A07535463 bearing the name of Mr. Shani Tali to support claim of ownership of property known and described a s 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX when you had reason to believe that the said document was false and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 366 and punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code CAP 532 laws of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, 2006.

  • Fed Govt charges Ozekhome with forgery over UK property

    Fed Govt charges Ozekhome with forgery over UK property

    The federal government has filed a three-count charge against Mike Ozekhome (SAN) over alleged forgery and use of false documents in a disputed property case in the United Kingdom.

    The charge, marked FCT/HC/CR/010/2026, was filed at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on January 16 by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in the name of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN).

    Ozekhome is charged and accused of knowingly presenting forged documents, including a Nigerian international passport, to support his claim of ownership of a property located at 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX, during proceedings before the London First-Tier Tribunal.

    He is alleged to have given false information, used forged documents, and attempted to deceive a public authority.

    According to the ICPC, the alleged offences were committed sometime in August 2021 in the Maitama area of the nation’s capital, within the jurisdiction of the FCT high court.

    The counts read:

    *That you Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) 68 years of No. 53, Nile Street, Maitama, Abuja, sometime in August, 2021 or thereabout at a place outside Nigeria i.e. London, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, directly received House 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX purportedly given to you by one Mr. Shani Tali, an act you knew constitutes a felony and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 13 and punishable under Section 24 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences, Act, 2000.

    *That you Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) 68 years of No. 53 Nile Street, Maitama, Abuja, sometime in August 2021 or thereabout at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, while being a legal practitioner and Senior Advocate of Nigeria did make a fake document, to wit: Nigeria passport A07535463 bearing the name of Mr. Shani Tali with intent to use same to support claim of ownership of property known and described as 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX with intent to commit fraud and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 363 and punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code CAP 532 Laws of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, 2006.

    *That you Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN) 68 years of No. 53, Nile Street, Maiiama, Abuja, sometime in August 2021 or thereabout at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, while being a legal practitioner and Senior Advocate of Nigeria dishonestly used as genuine a false Nigeria passport A07535463 bearing the name of Mr. Shani Tali to support claim of ownership of property known and described as 79 Randall Avenue, London NW2 7SX when you had reason to believe that the said document was false and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 366 and punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code CAP 532 Laws of the Federal Capital Territory Abuja, 2006.

    The Nation learnt that Ozekhome could be arraigned before the week runs out.

  • Ozekhome: Between law, justice and sentiment

    Ozekhome: Between law, justice and sentiment

    By Abubakar D. Sani

     Seldom has the verdict of a foreign tribunal riveted Nigerians as the opinion of Judge Ewan Paton of the Property Tribunal, London, U.K, in respect of the ownership of No. 79 Randall Avenue, Neasden, North London. The dispute arose from the objection of one “Ms. Tali Shani” to Mike Ozekhome’s application to the Land Registry in England to be registered as the owner of the property which was ostensibly transferred to him by another “Tali Shani”, this time, male.

    So, two Tali Shanis, therefore, jointly laid claim to the same property. In the event, the judge found that neither existed as a matter of fact; in other words, their evidence was fabricated. He, therefore, ruled that the claims of both the objector to Ozekhome’s registration (Ms. Tali Shani) and that of Ozekhome himself failed.

    The Tribunal also found, however, that the property was purchased by the late Gen. Jeremiah Useni way back in 1993. In its words, the General “was in truth the sole legal and beneficial owner of this property (albeit registered in a false name)”. The Tribunal further found (in the same portion of its judgment –  Paragraph 200) that the Gen. “must in some way have been connected to (the) transfer (to Prof, Ozekhome) and to have directed it (as) he was clearly close to, and on good terms with the respondent”; adding for good measure that there was “no question of this being some sort of attempt by (Prof. Ozekhome) to steal the General’s property without his knowledge”, and furthermore (in paragraph 202) that “it was the decision of  General Useni to transfer the property to (Prof. Ozekhome)”.

    Had the tribunal stopped there, none of the fuss and dust raised by Ozekhome’s involvement would have arisen and nothing would have been amiss. However, it did not, as it held that certain evidence proffered by the Ozekhome and his son (in particular, some documents he submitted to the Land Registry such as a copy of the Nigerian passport of Mr. Tali Shani, which showed that he was born in April 1973 – 20 years before he purportedly purchased the property in 1993 and the oral testimony of the purported transferor, Mr. Tali Shani) were “contrived” and “invented” (Paragraph 206 of the judgment). In other words, they were perjured.

    Now, giving or fabricating evidence before a judicial tribunal is a very serious offence. That is the law both in England and in Nigeria. The issue is, however, more nuanced than that – and this is where most commentators (including supposed ‘learned’ ones, i.e. legal practitioners) got it wrong. This is because they failed to grasp the elementary point that context is everything – even in a judicial proceeding and any apparently damning revelations that may emerge therefrom.

    More specifically, any allegation of the commission of a crime (any crime -including perjury or forgery) is required to be established by evidence according to the applicable standard – beyond reasonable doubt. This process consists of a formal charge, plea and defence, if any. Where such a charge is denied (as it, undoubtedly is, in this case), the prosecution is required to prove, not only the conduct, act or acts and words or omissions of the defendant which are alleged to constitute the offence (called “actus reus” in law) but – even more importantly – the mental element or guilty mind which accompanied such overt act or acts or with which it was contemporaneously done. In law, this is called “mens rea”. If it is missing, no crime is committed and the prosecution (or conviction) must fail.

    That being the case, the obvious question is: what guilty mind (or malevolent or other untoward or even fraudulent intention) could possibly have informed the allegedly false evidence which Ozekhome and his son purportedly proffered before Judge Paton? What was his or their aim, goal, motive or objective? Did they intend, by such conduct or words to fraudulently ‘corner’ (to use the tribunal’s words, “steal General Useni’s property without his knowledge”)?

    These questions were answered by the tribunal categorically and unequivocally in the negative in Paragraph 202 of its judgment. I believe this is a complete exoneration of Ozekhome and his son.

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    I repeat: no crime can be committed without the requisite mental element or guilty mind: where it is lacking, an accused person is innocent. In Ozekhome’s case, the worst that he can be accused of is over-exertion – borne out of over-anxiety – faced with the prospect of losing what was rightfully his, to an individual who was clearly intent in reaping where he (or she) did not sow. In other words, Ozekhome was the victim here – and no one else.

    Thus, he deserves sympathy for losing what was clearly intended by the adjudged owner (Gen. Useni) to be either an outright gift or otherwise to him. He has been more sinned against than sinning. It is, therefore, strange and uncharitable that naysayers have gone to town crying for his head. Are they crying more than the bereaved?

    Who, by the way, are the bereaved?

    His benefactor, Gen Useni is dead (may his soul rest in peace). It is not hard to imagine that he would be turning in his grave at the needless fuss being made over his property and the unfortunate distress to which it has exposed Ozekhome. History, however, will vindicate the just. Suffice it to say that if he made any mistakes (and we all make mistakes, don’t we, being human) they were mistakes of the head – not of the heart.

    I believe that Judge Paton was wrong in the legal conclusions he drew, even from the facts as found by him, in his judgment. I believe that certain legal issues arose for determination (and might still be relevant, going forward) – some of which, unfortunately, he did not advert his mind to and address – as he was legally bound to do.

    I believe that public perception that the Tribunal somehow indicted Ozekhome and his son is borne out of sentiment rather than the facts – much less the law. The same can be said of Judge Paton himself – with all due respect. This is because, in Nigeria, it is settled beyond cavil that, sentiment has no place in judicial adjudication.

    Neither Ozekhome nor his son can (or should) be indicted by revelations emanating from an objection (caveat) or judicial proceeding lodged or instituted at the behest of a fictitious, anonymous, faceless and bogus person. Both the caveat and the suit were non-existent in the eyes of the law. You cannot put something on nothing and expect it to stand: it must fall, as ex nihilo nihil fit (out of nothing comes nothing).

    •Sani, Esq, a lawyer, writes from Abuja.

  • Ozekhome slams FG for withholding Osun LG funds

    Ozekhome slams FG for withholding Osun LG funds

    Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Prof. Mike Ozekhome, has criticised the Federal Government for withholding allocations meant for Osun State local governments, describing the move as “highly political” and a violation of constitutional provisions and Supreme Court rulings.

    Speaking on a television programme, Ozekhome said the people of Osun should not be punished for partisan reasons, stressing that Section 162 of the Constitution and a 2024 Supreme Court judgment mandate direct payment of funds to local governments.

    He noted that the state had conducted elections on February 22, 2025, producing Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) officials, who are now the legitimate chairmen and councillors. “They ought to receive their allocation. There should be nothing barring it at all,” he said.

    Ozekhome accused the Attorney General of the Federation of acting improperly by directing funds to sacked All Progressives Congress (APC) officials. He also urged President Bola Tinubu to remember his own legal battles as Lagos governor, warning against repeating past mistakes.

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    “As governor of Lagos State, he challenged the withholding of funds made for Lagos State by the then President Obasanjo government. 

    “The Supreme Court held that the Federal Government could never withhold the funds made for local governments in a state. All you could say is that Lagos State has 20 recognised local governments, and the creation of additional 37 was not recognised, but the funds must still be released,” he said.

    Ozekhome added that failure of the Attorney General to give proper advice was a dereliction of duty. 

    “If the Attorney General failed to give the President the right advice, it is a failure on his part. And if he did give that advice, and Mr President refused, all he needed to do is to resign from office. If I were Attorney General and I gave advice to the President which I know is grounded in law, and he refused to take the advice, I would resign,” he stated.

    He stressed that the rule of law must prevail above political manoeuvring. “The people of Osun should not suffer because of politics. Once elections have been held and officials are in place, their allocations must flow without hindrance. That is the law, and that is justice,” he concluded.

  • Court sentences Mike Ozekhome’s kidnappers to 20-year imprisonment

    Court sentences Mike Ozekhome’s kidnappers to 20-year imprisonment

    A Federal High Court (FHC), Abuja, on Friday, convicted and sentenced two of the four defendants alleged to have kidnapped Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, to a 20-year-jail term each.

    Justice Binta Nyako, in a judgment, held that the prosecution had been able to establish the counts preferred against Kelvin Ezeigbe and Frank Azuekor, who were 1st and 2nd defendants, beyond reasonable doubt.

    Justice Nyako held that the sentence would run from the day of their arrest.

    The judge, however, discharged and acquitted

     Michael Omonigho and Momoh Haruna, who were 3rd and 4th defendants, of the counts levelled against them in the terrorism charge.

    She held that though some of the counts against Ezeigbe and Azuekor attracted punishment ranging from death sentence, life inprisonment to at least 10 years jail term, she said she had found that the accused had been been remorseful of their criminal act.

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    She said she also found that they had been in custody for about 10 year from the day of their arrest.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that while Omonigho, who was said to be the chief priest was in court, Haruna was not.

    When Nyako warned Omonigho to be careful as people worship in his shrine in the open court, the chief priest responded thus: “I have repented my lord.”

    The judge, however, directed that Haruna, who was at large, should be brought to court to face the sin of his escape from lawful custody, even though he was discharged of the counts against him.

    They judge commended the defence lawyer, Bala Dakum, and the prosecution counsel, Chioma Onuegbu, for their industrious input in the course of the trial.

    NAN reports that the defendants; Kelvin Ezeigbe, Frank Azuekor, Michael Omonigho and Momoh Haruna were first arraigned before Justice Adeniyi Ademola of a FHC, on June 9, 2014, on a 13-count charge bordering on conspiracy, armed robbery, kidnapping and acts of terrorism.

    While the three defendants were in court, Haruna was said to be missing after the attack on Kuje Correctional Centre by terrorists on July 5, 2022.

     They were accused of committing acts of terrorism, contrary to Sections 1, 8 and 10 of the Terrorism Prevention Act, 2011.

    They were alleged to have, on Aug. 23, 2013, kidnapped Mr. Ozekhome at Iruekpen on his way to Iviukwe in Agenebode, Edo.

    Ozekhome was held in captivity for about three weeks before his release allegedly following the payment of N28 million ransom.

    They were also accused of kidnapping Delta State Commissioner for Higher Education, Prof Hope Eghagha; Attanasius Ugbme and his friend, Emmanuel Maka Omorogbe, and killing five policemen and two prison officials.

    The defendants were also alleged to have compelled Eghagha to pay N7 million, Ugbome paid N20 million and Omorogbe paid N3.5 million.

    The five police officers allegedly killed were Paul Ajaka, Sunday Ewanshiha, Michael Akpada, Bakary Ekong and Innocent Odoh.

    They also allegedly killed Lawrence Edora and Oyibo Okoye who were prison officers and made away with their service rifles.

    The four suspects were refused bail filed on their behalf by their lawyer, Bala Dakum.

    While Ezeigbe and Azuekor had been held at the facility of the Department of State Service (DSS), Omonigho and Haruna were held at Kuje Correctional Centre, Abuja.(NAN)

  • Falana, Ozekhome disagree over ex-CJN Onnoghen’s sack

    TWO Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) Mike Ozekhome and Femi Falana on Tuesday disagreed over lawyers’ response to the removal of immediate-past Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Walter Onnoghen.

    The duo spoke during Rule of Law Session of the ongoing Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Annual General Conference (AGC) at the Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos.

    On April 19, the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) convicted Justice Onnoghen on the infractions noticed in his assets declaration documents and for failing to reveal the money he kept in foreign bank accounts.

    His suspension over the charges pending trial by President Muhammadu Buhari in January, weeks before the presidential election, caused a political storm within the legal community.

    Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, who was one of the panelists at the NBA event, stirred the controversy with his comment on the Justice Onnoghen saga.

    According to him, the NBA failed the former CJN when the Federal Government eased him out of office.

    The lawmaker, representing Abia South Senatorial District, alleged that some persons hid a judgment that invalidated the Federal Government’s power to oust Justice Onnoghen, only to bring the judgment out after his ouster.

    Abaribe said: “I’m going to pose just one question to the NBA on the basis of some, I would say, facts.

    “One, you cannot be a judge without being a lawyer. Am I correct? You cannot be an attorney-general without also being a lawyer.

    “What that means is simple: this group of learned people, you are the only ones that have one arm of government and a critical arm of the executive, so, you have the judiciary as one arm, then you have the ministry of justice which is also peopled by lawyers, whether at the state or at the federal level.

    “The question we ask, with due apologies to Wole Soyinka in The Bar Association: Tiger, where is your tigritude?”

    Explaining the reason for his question, he said: “We find the Bar Association blowing very mute trumpets when the judiciary is under pressure and I can say that in the matter of Onnoghen, what happened? We waited for the Bar Association, (but) nothing happened. We waited for the Attorney-General’s office, nothing happened. And everybody was looking at us (senators).

    “What we were waiting for, the law is very clear: you cannot remove a Chief Justice without coming to the Senate. Yet, it happened, and nothing happened.”

    On allegations that senators get fat salaries, the senator said: “On the Senate pay, I can be very, very specific… Every office has an overhead, the National Assembly office is the only office where people add the overhead to your legitimate pay and say that that is your pay.

    Read Also: NJC confirms Onnoghen’s voluntary retirement 

    “We do not know what the overhead of a minister is. Nobody has ever said that a minister who can travel with 100 aides on the account of the ministry, we don’t say that the ministry’s money is that minister’s money.”

    He challenged the audience to compare the Nigerian senators’ pay to their United States’ counterparts.

    “When you do that, you will find out that we are not earning too much money.”

    Responding to Abaribe’s remarks on Justice Onnoghen’s sack, Ozekhome berated lawyers for not doing enough to protest Justice Onnoghen’s prosecution and conviction.

    According to him, lawyers could have taken to the streets the way lawyers in Pakistan did when former President Pervez Musharaf “unconstitutionally” removed the country’s Chief Justice.

    Ozekhome said: “Is there anything wrong with lawyers – since members of the Bench are defamed and they cannot protest by themselves – (adopting) the kind of role we saw lawyers did on 9th of March, 2007, when they went on the streets in Pakistan and shut down the entire country because President Pervez Musharaf removed unjustly and unconstitutionally Mohammed Musharaf, the late Chief Justice. Can’t we do more than we have done?”

    But Ozekhome got a sharp reply from activist-lawyer Falana, who reminded him that the Pakistani CJ was not unlawfully removed under a cloud of unexplained wealth, just like Onnoghen.

    Falana said: “In Pakistan, the Chief Justice then was not removed for corruption. Can the NBA morally go to the streets to fight for judges who have millions that they cannot account for?”

    The audience erupted in applause.

    When the din subsided, Falana turned on panel chairman Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, and questioned his commitment to human rights causes.

    He said: “You and I, Olisa – I think that was the point Senator Abaribe was making – in the 80s, we were on the streets to fight for democracy and the rule of law and human rights. Senator Abaribe is asking you: what has happened, Olisa Agbakoba?”

    The audience erupted again.

    Agbakoba, who was moderating the session, gave him an instant reply.

    He said: “Femi, I can tell you what has happened. You want to know? I am a grandfather.”

    The session, which was attended by thousands of lawyers, including NBA President Paul Usoro (SAN) and other NBA executive council members, featured Justice Obande Ogbuinya of the Court of Appeal, International Bar Association (IBA) President Horacio Neto; Mr Stephen Craig QC of the Bar of Human Rights Committee of England and Wales among others, as panelists.

  • Alleged N2bn Fraud: Jang objects to submission of classified documents in court

    Former Plateau Governor, Jonah Jang on Friday objected to an attempt by a witness, Jonah Kabong, a Civil servant, to tender two classified documents in Court on behalf of the EFCC.

    According to a report by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the anti-graft agency had dragged Jang before a Plateau High Court for alleged money laundering while in office as governor between 2007 and 2015.

    Justice Daniel Longji, Chief Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), called Kabong as a prosecution witness for the production and submission of some documents.

    The documents were said be minutes of state executive council meetings classified as a “Top Secret” documents from the office of Secretary to the Plateau State Government (SSG).

    “My Lord, there are two documents that we asked this witness from the office of the SSG to produce for us, which we hope to tender before your lordship.

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    “We apply to tender it as part of our evidence against the accused,” Jacobs announced.

    But Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), counsel to Jang, objected to the application.

    “My Lord, we are strongly objecting to that application because it’s not proper to tender documents that are classified and bagged a “top secret” before a law court.

    “We believe it’s going to be injurious particularly to the Plateau State. Classified documents are not for public consumption.

    “Our opposition to this dangerous attempt is not because we are afraid of anything,  but such documents by Law are not to be thrown open to the public, ” Ozekhome argued.

    Justice Longji after listening to the parties’ arguments adjourned the case to June 27 for ruling on the application.

    Earlier, Ozekhome had also punctured the testimonies of an ICPC Investigator, Mr Taiwo Olorunyomi, who early said that Jang had contravened the provisions of ICPC Act and that of the Plateau State House of Assembly by misappropriation of SUBRB N2 billion to another person project.

    Olorunyomi had claimed that Jang did not seek for approval from the House before borrowing the said N2bn to execute a different project thereby contravening the law.

  • Melaye did not jump out of a moving vehicle – Witness tells court

    A Prosecution witness told an FCT High Court that Sen. Dino Melaye did not jump out of a moving vehicle on April 24, 2018

    A police driver with the Inspector-General of Police Special Tactical Squad, Inspector Abana Mallum, while testifying, said:”anyone who said Melaye jumped out through the window, is a liar.”

    Melaye, who represents Kogi West senatorial district in the National Assembly, is charged before Justice Sylvanus Oriji, sitting in Apo,, by the police with six counts bordering on attempted suicide, attempt to escape from custody and damage of police property.

    He was said to have committed the alleged offence on April 24, 2018 while being conveyed by the police to Lokoja, Kogi.

    The police alleged that Melaye sat on the ground, holding a substance in one hand, threatening to drink it to kill himself and implicate police officers.

    He was further alleged to have broken the windshield of the vehicle in which he was being conveyed to Lokoja with his elbow and caused damage to police property.

    The offence, the prosecution said contravened the provisions of sections 148,153,173,231, 326 and 327 of the Penal Code.

    The witness, made this known while being cross examined by counsel for Melaye, Benson Igbanoi, who held the brief of Dr Mike Ozekhome,SAN.

    He stated that the police team conveying Melaye to Lokoja took off from the Abattoir office of the IGP squad and was intercepted at the Area 1 roundabout in Abuja by a Hilux van.

    Read Also: Adeyemi sues Melaye over Kogi West election

    Mallum, who testified as the second prosecution witness (PW2), informed the court that the bus he was driving was blocked by an unknown van that someone in the bus forcefully opened the door.

    He said Melaye was seated in the second row on the left side of the vehicle.

    He said that there were six other policemen, including the team leader, ASP Sunday Ibrahim.

    The witness told the court that he did not see the senator holding a gun at the scene of interception by the Hilux van.

    Mallum, however told the court that Melaye held something in his hand but he could not identify what it was.

    ” I don’t know where he got the thing from,” he said.

    The police inspector further informed the court that the police team chased the Hilux van caught up with it at the Yar’Adua Centre.

    “We caught up with them near Yar’Adua Centre.

    “Some of them ran into the bush behind the National Mosque. Only one person was eventually arrested there.

    “I don’t know the name of that person. I don’t know if that person was charged to court for any offence. I don’t know how many of them escaped; I only know one was arrested.

    “Anyone who says three person were arrested, that person is telling lie,” Mallum told the court.

    Meanwhile, Justice Oriji has adjourned till May 28, for continuation of hearing.

    NAN

  • Court orders EFCC to charge lawyer, ex-senator by March 28

    The FCT High Court, Apo, on Tuesday ordered the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) to charge an Abuja-based lawyer, Monday Ubani and a former Senator, Christopher Enai to court or release them on bail on or before March, 28.

    Justice Silvanus Oriji , gave the order after listening to the submissions of the applicants in an ex-parte motion filed by their counsel Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN).

    The judge also in alternative granted bail to the applicants in the sum of N50 million with two reasonable sureties, who must must be civil servants on level 15.

    The court had also ordered that the applicants must deposit their international passport.

    READ ALSO: Alleged N13b fraud: EFCC declares ex-NIA boss, wife wanted

    Ozekhome, counsel to the applicants, in the motion exparte prayed the court to order the EFCC to grant the applicants bail on self-recognizance or liberal terms pending arraignment.

    He also prayed an order of the court to direct the EFCC to immediately release the applicant on bail pending formal arraignment of applications before a court.

    He also prayed  an order of the court  directing the  respondent whether by themselves, their  agents ,employee, operatives, detectives, investigating officers to produce the applicants before a court on next adjourned date of this matter.

    The Senior Advocate also stated that the applicants have been detained beyond the constitutionally provided limit by the EFCC.

    Ubani, a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Ikeja branch and Enai, ex-senator representing Bayelsa were invited and detained by the EFCC operatives on March, 19.

    The applicants were detained for standing as sureties for Ngozi Olejeme, who once served as the Chairman of the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund from 2009 to 2015.

    They are yet to be charge to court by the EFCC.

     

  • Presidential election: PDP, Atiku file petition a day to deadline

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate in the February 23, 2019 presidential election, Atiku Abubakar on Monday said they have filed their petition at the tribunal, challenging the validity of the election in which President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was returned for a second term.

    PDP’s National Legal Adviser, Emmanuel Enoidem and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mike Ozekhome said the party and Atiku filed a joint petition on Monday evening at the secretarial of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja.

    Enoidem and Ozekhome spoke while exiting the tribunal’s secretariat situated at the Abuja division of the Court of Appeal on Monday evening.

    Both lawyers gave hints about the content of the petition and their expectations at the tribunal.

    Enoidem said: “We are here to present our joint petition for our party, the PDP and candidate our candidate. The last day for the petition is actually tomorrow, but we decided to file today.

    “We asked that our candidate, who won the election massively across the country, be declared the winner of that election.

    “In the alternative, we also asked that the election be set aside on the grounds of irregularities, which were very apparent across the country.

    “We have a pool of 20 Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs), who are tested in election petition matters and other senior lawyers, who are also working with them.

    “So we are very ready for the petition. The petition is well packaged. The depositions are well put together.

    “More than 400 witnesses are going to testify in this petition. Nigerians are at home with what happened on February 23 in this country in relation to the sham they called election.

    “Of course, we are going to re-present the facts to Nigerians, as the facts are already in the domain of Nigerians. We are not going to manufacture facts.

    Ozekhome, who came out of the tribunal’s secretariat later, said he is a member of the petitioners’ legal team and that the petit on is “strong, solid and unassailable.”

    He noted that, with only one day to the deadline for filing of the petition, the late filing was because the Independent National Electoral Commission failed to cooperate in terms of providing easy access to the electoral materials.

    Ozekhome added: “We have up to tomorrow (Tuesday), to file but we have been having some challenges from the INEC itself in terms of assessing materials used during the elections. But I believe we will get there.

    “Our petition is quite solid, strong unassailable and we believe that by the grace of God, the true keeper and owner of the mandate will have his mandate given to him.”