Court Threatens To Jail President Buhari, Senate President, Others For Contempt

A federal high court sitting in Abuja has threatened to jail President Buhari, Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, and Senate President, Ahmad Lawan over flouting an earlier restraining order.

Others in the suit are Special Adviser on Social Media to the president, Lauretta Onochie and Samuel Ogbuku.

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The Eagle reports that the court in a notice of consequences of disobedience dated December 23, 2022, gave a warning to President Buhari, Lawan, Onochie, and others.

The court also stopped President Buhari from swearing in Onochie and Ogbuku.

The notice read, ‘’Take notice that unless you obey the directions contained in this order, you will be guilty of contempt of court and will be liable to be committed to prison.”

Recall that the Senate last week screened and confirmed Onochie and Ogbuku as Chairman and Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission respectively.

The court had earlier granted an order stopping the National Assembly from screening and confirming the nomination of Onochie and Ogbuku.

The presiding judge, Justice J. K. Omotosho, instructed that all actions on the matter be suspended pending the determination of the suit.

Among other things, the originating summons marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2294/2022 is seeking a restraining order on the National Assembly from screening and confirming the duo.

The plaintiffs, Chief Edward Ekpokpo Esq., and Victor Wood who are both representing the Itsekiri Leaders of Thought and Mr Edward Omagbemi who is presenting Omadino Unity Forum all on behalf of the Itsekiri ethnic nationality are challenging the nomination on the grounds that it is the turn of the Itsekiri nationality to occupy the positions.

The first to sixth defendants in the suit are President Buhari, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Malami; Senate President, Lawan, Lauretta Onochie and Samuel Ogbuku.

The suit filed by Ama Etuwewe SAN & Co., demands that the provisions of the NDDC Act should be followed in the process.

It maintained that it is the turn of the Itsekiri ethnic nationality to produce the NDDC board chairman and MD as arguably the biggest oil-producing community in Delta State.

The presiding judge, Justice Omotosho adjourned the matter to January 11, 2023, for further hearing, after reading the affidavit and hearing the counsel to the plaintiff.

He said, “That leave is hereby granted to the plaintiffs to serve the 5th and 6th defendants with the originating processes in this suit by substituted means to wit by advertising the processes in at least one national newspaper circulating within the jurisdiction of this to court and to deem the same as proper service.

“That an order is hereby made that no party in this suit shall take any step or act or action that may make the outcome of the pending motion on notice for injunction Dated and filed December 12, 2022, nugatory.

“That any act or step or action taken in this order to make the outcome of the said motion on notice dated and filed December 12, 2022, nugatory shall be a nullity.”

See the court notice below: