Group To Push Review Of Saro-Wiwa Judgement

The leader of Ken Saro Wiwa Associates, Mr. Gani Topba, says the group will push for the “review” of Justice Ibrahim Auta led Ogoni Civil Disturbance Tribunal to Supreme Court.
The group, a socio-cultural organisation, is in solidarity with Late Ogoni environmentalist, Ken Saro Wiwa, sentenced to death by the tribunal in 1995.
Topba told newsmen in Port Harcourt yesterday, that the group would push for the “review” of the Judgment at Supreme Court.
Our correspondent recalls that Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt had on January 27, 2017, struck out the group’s application for the “review” of the judgment.
Justice  Liman Abdullahi  had struck out the application on grounds that the applicant counsel, Mr. Golden Awi, did not attach certified copies of the proceedings of the tribunal.
According to the Judge, the applicant did not state the relationship between it and Ken Saro Wiwa and eight others sentenced to death by the tribunal.
The court further said the applicant did not state the injury it suffered on account of the death of Wiwa and eight others among other reasons.
Topba, however, alleged that the High Court Registry in Port Harcourt was frustrating the application for the certified copies of court records of proceedings and Judgment.
He said without the two documents, the group could not proceed to Court of Appeal.
According to him, the group’s counsel had applied twice for the certified copies of the court documents.
Topba said the first application was submitted on Jan. 30, 2017 while the second was submitted to the registry on February 6, 2017 by 12:51pm.
Officials at the high court registry however denied receiving the applications.