Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division
has granted an order of mandamus seeking the arrest and immediate sack
of Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and his Science
and Technology counterpart, Ogbonnaya Onu, over recent allegations
levelled against them by two justices of the Supreme Court.
The applicant, Human Rights Foundation International, sought the
order in its substantive suit where it prayed the court to compel the
Department of State Services (DSS) and the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) to “perform their statutory obligations” by
immediately arresting and prosecuting the two ministers.
The group also sought an order of mandamus compelling President
Muhammadu Buhari to immediately sack both ministers “in the interest of
the public and morality” based on allegations of attempts to influence
court decisions as claimed by the two jurists.
A copy of the enrolled order made on December 1 specifically called
for the disengagement of the ministers pending when they were cleared
by a court of competent jurisdiction.
The plaintiff further asked for an order of mandamus under the
reviewed Administrative Action/Inaction Procedure, to first seek and
obtain the leave of court through an ex-parte application to properly
commence the suit.
In the relief sought, the plaintiff raised the following questions:
“Whether or not the allegation made by Justices Inyang Okoro and
Sylvester N. Ngwuta in connection with the criminal-like invasion of
their houses by the DSS on allegation of corruption, which the matter is
already in the public domain, should be investigated and those arrested
be prosecuted by the third and fourth defendants.
“Whether or not the allegation is a reasonable ground to warrant
the 5th defendant, which is the President of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria and who claims that his administration is fighting corruption,
to sack or compel Amaechi and Onu to resign from office as ministers
pending when they are cleared of every allegation of corruption.”
Both justices had in two separate correspondences to former Chief
Justice Mahmud Mohammed accused the ministers of attempting to influence
court decisions in some election cases between 2015 and this year.
The matter has, however, been slated for mention on December 15.
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