Ifeanyi Ibe
A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the arrest and probe of a lawyer, Ibrahim Mohammed, for filing a criminal charge against Senator Stella Oduah in the name of the EFCC.
Justice James Omotosho gave the order on Tuesday shortly after Mohammed announced appearance for the Nigeria Police Force.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelOduah and her lawyer were not in court.
When Justice Omotosho asked Mohammed if the defendant had been served, the prosecuting lawyer told the court that the investigating police officer (IPO) informed him that Oduah, who represented Anambra North Senatorial Distinct in the ninth National Assembly, could not be served as she was indisposed.
The judge then asked who signed the charge which the lawyer was holding and which office was he representing.
Mohammed responded that he was seconded to the EFCC but redeployed to the police last November.
He added that he resumed duties at the legal department of the police headquarters in January.
Justice Omotosho, who inquired further, asked why he signed the charge on June 22 when he was no longer in the anti-graft agency.
The lawyer said he mistakenly put the EFCC in Benin as his office while preparing the charge.
In response, the judge ordered Mohammed to be handed over to the anti-corruption agency for investigation.
“In view of the fact that Ibrahim Mohammed signed this charge on June 22, and having admitted that he left EFCC in November 2022, this court makes an order that EFCC should investigate and report back to the court. Counsel shall report to EFCC immediately,” he declared.
Head of the police in the court, Titus Okuba, led Mohammed out of the courtroom.
The EFCC was expected to re-arraign Oduah before Justice Omotosho on Tuesday on allegations bordering on perjury and document falsification.
The ex-lawmaker is being accused of misrepresenting facts about whether or not she participated in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and was issued a certificate to that effect.
She was alleged to have falsified documents with which she got into public offices, including being a minister and a senator in the fresh charge.
