One of the places to visit in Nigeria when you have some form of draw back that needs inner joy to overcome, a terrible feeling is the courtroom.
Go on days that cases hold and attend the proceedings. What you will hear will make you laugh inside, smile and even think deeply about life.
One of the courts where such interesting stories came from this week is the Federal High Court, Abuja.
In fact, a drama unfolded on Tuesday at the Court, Abuja when Justice James Omotosho handed over police lawyer, Ibrahim Mohammed, to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Omotosho faulted Mohammed for filing an eight-count criminal charge against Senator Stella Oduah without the EFCC’s permission.
Ochugwu Ogbeh and Ibrahim Mohammed, both lawyers of the Legal and Prosecution Department of the EFCC in Benin, Edo state filed the suit on June 26.
If they work for the EFCC, then they should have the right to file the case, you will say.
But wait until you understand why it is not so.
The matter came up for hearing again on Tuesday, but Mohammed was the only one present on the prosecution team.
According to their suit, they were accusing Oduah of falsely claiming to have lost her National Youth Service Corps certificate, among other alleged offences.
In May 2022, the NYSC, in a letter, marked NYSC/DHQ/PPRU/783/Vol III, revealed that Oduah did not complete the mandatory one-year NYSC programme in response to an inquiry made by a group known as the Concerned Anambra North PDP Stakeholders.
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The NYSC said Oduah commenced her NYSC programme in 1982 but absconded. It also denied conspiring with the former aviation minister to hide the truth.
While those claims and counter claims make people wonder the direction the case will go, the court saw something wrong in the way the case was filed.
Both lawyers had filed the case without obtaining the permission of the EFCC to make the case come under the anti-graft agency.
They filed as individuals, ignoring the government agency they work for. As a government official, you owe allegiance to the agency you work with and cannot do your personal practice.
Suit Against Oduah
One of the counts read: “That you Senator Stella Oduah and D.A.O Oshinowo (at large) sometime in the year, 2017, at Federal Capital Territory, Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did conspire amongst yourselves to commit felony to wit: Make a document titled ‘Re: Request for National Youth Service Confirmation which you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 3(6) of the miscellaneous offences Act CAF M17 of the revised edition (Laws of the Federation of Nigeria) 2007 and Punishable under section 3 (1) (c) of the same Act.
“That you Senator Stella Oduah and D. A. O. Oshinowo (at large) sometime in the year 2017 at Federal Capital Territory, Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did fabricate an incorrect document with intent to cause injury to wit titled Re: Request for National Youth Service confirmation with intend that it may be acted upon as genuine, the representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 156 of the Penal Code Act and Punishable under section 158(1) of the same Act.
“That you, Senator Stella Oduah sometime in the year, 2011 at Federal Capital Territory, Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did forward your credential to the Federal Government of Nigeria among which is an affidavit and extract from police crime diary, that you lost your National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Certificate, the representation you know to be false which led to your nomination as a Cabinet Minister and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 39 (2) (a) and punishable under Section 39(2)(b) of the same Act.
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“That you Senator Stella Oduah sometime in the year 2018, at Federal Capital Territory, Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did retain the aggregate sum paid to you as salaries and allowances by the Federal Government of Nigeria as a Minister of Aviation and two-term Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria from the Taxpayers Money knowing that same represent proceeds of your unlawful activities to wit: obtaining by false pretense and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 17(a) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act 2004 and Punishable under the same Section 17[b] of the same Act.
“That you Senator Stella Oduah sometime in the year, 2011- 2023 at Federal Capital Territory, Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud did obtain the aggregate sum of salaries and allowances as Minister and Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, from Federal Government of Nigeria under the pretence of being qualified with your credentials, the pretence you knew or ought to know to be false and thereby committed offences contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offence Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”
