Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday, ordered investigation into allegation by an online publication that the court has resolved to commit former Benue Governor, Gabriel Suswam, to prison at all cost.
Justice Abang, while delivering the ruling after taking arguments of the counsel to the parties in the matter, said the move was to determine the truth or otherwise of the publication on the one hand, and the sponsors and persons that published the report on the other hand.
The judge, who charged the Inspector-General (I-G) of Police, Department of State Security Services (DSS) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to conduct the probe, gave them 21 days to submit the report of their findings.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that an online platform, Igbere TV News, had, on Feb. 2, published a story with a title: “N3.1m Fraud: Justice Abang, Secretly Meets APC Stakeholders, EFCC Prosecutor To Jail Suswam.”
The report alleged that Justice Abang; EFCC prosecutor, Rotimi Jacobs and the All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders had, on Jan. 31, had a secret meeting in Lagos on how to jail Suswam.
At the resumed trial on Wednesday, counsel to EFCC in the ongoing trial of Suswam, Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, informed the court about the publication made against the court as presently constituted, describing it as “scandalous.”
Also, counsel to the 1st (Suswam) and 2nd (Omadachi Oklobia) defendants, Chinelo Ogbozor and Paul Erokoro, SAN, respectively, also condemned the publication.
The counsel representing the parties, then, urged the court to order for an investigation in the matter to unravel the mystery behind the publication.
Ruling on the matter, justice Abang described it as “a serious issue of national importance.”
He held that any agency of the executive arm of government that is charged with the investigation of cybercrime offenders was competent to investigate the mater.
“What the court is concerned about is the truth of this publication; the persons that published this scandalous publication,” he held.
Abang, therefore, ordered that the IGP, DSS and EFCC should carry out a thorough investigation of the publication.
“I hereby order that the Inspector-General of Police, Department of State Security Services, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission shall jointly carry out thorough investigation and determine the truth or otherwise of the online publication by Igbere TV News on the 2nd day of February, 2020, captioned: ‘Just In- N3.1m Fraud: Justice Abang, Secretly Meets APC Stakeholders, EFCC Prosecutor To Jail Susan.’”
“They will also determine the sponsors and the persons that made the publication. These departments mentioned above shall submit their report of their findings to the registrar of this court as presently constituted and copies served the counsel representing parties within 21 days from today.
“Upon receipt of the report, the court shall make further consequential order in this matter.
“The prosecution shall serve the enrolled order in this matter with the copies of the publication on the IGP and DSS,” he held.
Justice Abang, then, adjourned the matter til Feb. 10, Feb. 11 and Feb. 12, for cross examination of PW4 by 2nd defendant counsel, reexamination of PW4 by the prosecution and continuation of trial which he said must be day to day.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Suswam and the then Commissioner for Finance in his administration, Omadachi Oklobia, are being prosecuted before the court on N3.1 billion money laundering charges.
They were accused by the EFCC of diverting the money which was said to be part of the proceeds of the sale of some shares of Benue State in a company.
Suswam, a senator, is presently representing Benue North-East Senatorial District in the National Assembly. (NAN)