Justice Okon Abang a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Wednesday struck out a motion by the incarcerated former National Security Adviser, NSA, Sambo Dasuki, seeking to set aside the subpoena directing him to appear in court to testify as a defence witness in the ongoing trial of ex-National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Olisa Metuh.
Metuh, in a subpoena signed by Justice Okon Abang, had requested that the ex-NSA appear as a witness in his trial. But during today’s resumed trial, Justice Abang held that having been ordered by the Court of Appeal in Abuja on September 29, 2017, he lacked jurisdiction to hear and determine the motion on merit.
Justice Abang stated that determining the motion on merit would amount to an attempt to review the judgment of the Court Appeal, which is a higher court. The trial judge held that issues raised by Dasuki’s counsel, Ahmed Raji (SAN), had become academic since the court lacked jurisdiction to hear them.
Noting that it would amount to “judicial anarchy” to hear Dasuki’s application on merit, Abang said, “If the applicant (Dasuki) is dissatisfied, he should know what to do and where to go, but certainly not this court.”
The Former President, Goodluck Jonathan has failed to appear before Justice Okon Abang, as the court begins sitting in the case of money laundering between the Federal Government and a former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olisa Metuh.
The Federal High Court had earlier ordered President Goodluck Jonathan to today appear before it, to testify as a witness in defence of Metuh. Meanwhile, the Registrar of the Court has just informed the court that the bailiff is yet to serve the former President with the order of the court.
