TVC E. A group, Kingdom Human Rights Foundation, has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to order the arrests of the Minister of Transportation,Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, and his Science and Technology counterpart, Mr. Ogbonnaya Onu.
The plaintiff also sought an order of mandamus compelling President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately sack both ministers in public interest and public morality based on the allegations of attempts to influence court decisions recently levelled against them by two Justices of the Supreme Court.
Two Justices of the Supreme Court, Justices Sylvester Ngwuta and Inyang Okoro, had accused Amaechi and Onu of attempting to influence the decision of courts in some election cases between 2015 and 2016.
In addition to the originating summons, the plaintiff filed an ex parte motion seeking leave to properly commence the legal action as stipulated in the rules.
Joined in the suit as defendants are Amaechi, Onu, the Department of State Service, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The plaintiff, in its originating summons stated that “the allegations made against the 1st and 2nd defendants (Amaechi and Onu) by the two Justices of the Supreme Court of Nigeria… are grievous enough to warrant their arrest, investigation and prosecution by the 3rd and 4th defendants (DSS and EFCC).”
The group also alleged that the allegations were weighty enough “to warrant their removal from office without 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 wins all their governorship election cases at all costs and by all means.”
It asked the court to declare that the failure of President Buhari to sack Amaechi and Onu “are grievous enough to conclude that President Buhari’s fight against corruption is window-dress, witch-hunt, selective, high-handed, vindictive, malicious and prosecuted with gross disregard to the rule of law.”
It therefore sought an order of mandamus compelling the DSS and EFCC to “immediately and without further delay whatsoever, arrest, investigate and prosecute the 1st and 2nd defendants (Amaechi and Onu), based on the allegations of corruption and attempt to induce or bribe the Justices of the Supreme Court”.
It also sought another order of mandamus compelling President Buhari “to immediately and without delay and without any further delay whatsoever sack or cause the 1st and 2nd defendants to resign from offices as Minister of Transportation and Minister of Science and Technology on the ground of public interest, public morality and to enable the 3rd and 4th defendants (DSS and EFCC) speedily carry out their statutory responsibility of arresting and prosecuting the 1st and 2nd defendants.”
