Bribery Allegation: Group drags Buhari to court, insists Ameachi, Onu must be investigated and sacked

A Non-Governmental Organisation known as Incorporated Trustees of Kingdom Human Rights Foundation International yesterday filed a suit at the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, asking the court to issue an order of mandamus compelling President Buhari to immediately sack Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi and his counterpart in Science & Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu.

According to the group, the sack of both Ministers is important after two Supreme Court judges, Inyang Okoro and Nwali Sylvester Ngwuta, who are currently being investigated for corruption, accused both men of offering them bribe some years ago, Vanguard reports.

In a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/857/2016, the group also asked the court to compel the Department of State Security Service, DSS, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC to investigate the allegations of bribery. Cited as 1st to 5th Defendants in the suit were Amaechi, Onu, the DSS, EFCC and President Buhari, respectively. 

Specifically, the group through their lawyer, Okere Nnamdi, asked the court to determine 

“Whether or not the allegation made by two Justices of the Supreme Court namely Inyang Okoro and Nwali Sylvester Ngwuta in connection with the criminal-like invasion of their houses by agents of the State Security Service on alleged allegation of corruption, which matter is already in public domain should be investigated and those accused arrested and prosecuted by the 3rd and 4th Defendants. 

Whether or not the allegation made by two Justices of the Supreme Court namely Inyang Okoro and Nwali Sylvester Ngwuta in connection with the criminal-like invasion of their houses by agents of the State Security Service on alleged allegation of corruption, which matter is already in public domain, is a reasonable ground to warrant the 5th Defendant who is the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and who claims that his administration is fighting corruption, to sack or compel the 1st and 2nd defendants to resign from office as Ministers, pending when they are cleared of every allegation of corruption. 

Whether or not the 3rd, 4th and 5th Defendants have failed to perform their constitutional and statutory mandates by failing to: (a) for the 3rd and 4th defendants to commence investigation, arrest and prosecute the 1st and 2nd defendants in this suit based on the allegation by two Justices of the Supreme Court, namely Inyang Okoro and Nwali Sylvester Ngwuta; and (b) for the 5th defendant by refusing to sack the 1st and 2nd defendants as Ministers pending when they are cleared of every allegation of corruption”. 

Upon determination of these questions, the group wants a declaration that the allegations made against Ameachi and Onu are “grievous enough to warrant their arrest, investigation and prosecution by the 3rd and 4th defendants. 

A declaration of the court that allegations against the Ministers are grievous enough to warrant their removal from office without any further delay by the 5th Defendant (President Buhari) who was also accused to have sent the 1st defendant (Amaechi) on the mission to ensure that the All Progressives Congress, APC, wins all their governorship election cases at all costs and by all means. 

A declaration that the allegation made against the 1st and 2nd defendants by the two Justices of the Supreme Court of Nigeria as deposed in the affidavit in support of this application, and the refusal of the 5th defendant to sack the 1st and 2nd defendants are grievous enough to conclude that the 5th defendant’s fight against corruption is window-dressing, witch-hunt, selective, high handed, vindictive, malicious and prosecuted with gross disregard to the rule of law. 

An order of mandamus compelling the 3rd and 4th defendants (DSS and EFCC) to immediately and without further delay whatsoever, arrest, investigate and prosecute the 1st and 2nd defendants in this suit, based on the allegations of corruption and attempt to induce or bribe the Justices of the Supreme Court, in other to influence/induce them to subvert the cause of justice. As well as, “An order of mandamus compelling the 5th defendant to immediately and without any further delay whatsoever sack or cause the 1st and 2nd defendants to resign from offices as Minister of Transport and Minister of Science and Technology (respectively) without any further delay on the ground of public interest, public morality and to unable the 3rd and 4th defendants speedily carry out their statutory responsibility of arresting and prosecuting the 1st and 2nd defendants, based on the allegations of Hon. Justice Nwali Sylvester Ngwuta and Hon. Justice Inyang Okoro”. 

No date has been fixed for hearing of the case.