Granted – Court Says Yes To Suit Seeking Amaechi, Onu’s Arrest

BEVERLY HILLS, December 08, (THEWILL) – A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted a group, Kingdom Human Rights Foundation, leave to initiate proceedings for an order to arrest the Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, and his Science and Technology counterpart, Ogbonnaya Onu, over the recent allegations levelled against them by two justices of the Supreme Court.

Justices Sylvester Ngwuta and Inyang Okoro, both of the Supreme Court, whose houses were raided by the Department of State Services (DSS), had accused Amaechi and Onu of attempting to influence the Supreme Court decisions in some election cases between 2015 and 2016.

Ngwuta and Okoro levelled the allegations against Amaechi and Onu in separate letters addressed to then Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Mahmud Mohammed, in his capacity as the CJN alleged that the DSS descended on them after they refused to perverse the course of justice on behalf of Buhari's ministers.

Ngwuta in his letter alleged that Amaechi delivered to him a purported instruction from Buhari asking him to help to sway the judgments of the Supreme Court on the Ekiti and Rivers States governorship elections in favour of their party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He also alleged that Onu sought his help to influence the decision of the Court of Appeal in favour of the Labour Party candidate in the last year's governorship election in Ebonyi State.

Similarly, Okoro alleged that Amaechi told him that the President and the APC mandated him (Amaechi) to inform him (Okoro) that they must win the governorship election appeals in Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Abia States at all cost.

Weighty as the allegations were, the President neglected to act on them.

Thus, the group, in a substantive suit, asked the court to grant an order of mandamus compelling the DSS and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to perform their statutory obligations by immediately arresting and prosecuting the two ministers.

Joined in the suit as defendants are Amaechi, Onu, the DSS, EFCC and Buhari.

After granting the plaintiff leave, the judge directed that the originating summons, affidavit in support and the motion ex parte dated October 10 , and any other processes filed in the suit should be served on all the defendants.

Justice Mohammed then fixed December 15 for mention and ordered that fresh hearing notices be served on all the defendants.

Story by Oputah David