Court Okays Suit Seeking Amaechi And Onu’s Arrest, Sacking

A Federal High Court in Abuja has granted permission to the Kingdom Human Rights Foundation, a civil society group, to commence its lawsuit seeking the arrest and sacking of Minister of Transport Rotimi Amaechi and Minister of Science and Technology Ogbonnaya Onu over allegations of corruption.

According to a report by Punch Newspaper, the plaintiff is requesting that the court grant an order of mandamus compelling the Department of State Service (DSS) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to arrest and prosecute the two ministers.

Additionally, the group is seeking an order mandamus that would compel President Muhammadu Buhari to sack both ministers.

The online newspaper explained, “A plaintiff seeking an order of mandamus under the judicial review of administrative action/inaction procedure is required to first seek and obtain the leave of court through an ex parte application to properly commence the suit.” The court granted the plaintiff its leave on December 1.

Mr. Amaechi and Mr. Onu are alleged to have attempted to influence court decisions, according to Supreme Court justices Sylvester Ngwuta and Inyang Oro. The judges made the allegations after being arrested in October for alleged corruption.

According to the judges, they were arrested because they refused to decide court cases in the favor of the two ministers.

Mr. Ngwuta alleged that Mr. Amaechi asked him to sway the Supreme Court judgments on the Ekiti and Rivers States gubernatorial elections in favor of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The judge further alleged that Mr. Onu asked him to influence a Court of Appeal case over the 2015 Ebonyi State governorship elections in favor of the Labour Party candidate.