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Judge Orders Metuh To Appear In Court, Feb 5
The Federal High Court, Abuja has asked former Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) spokesman, Mr Olisah Metuh to be present at his trial on February 5 or face jail.
Justice Okon Abang gave the order last Thursday, when he delivered ruling in an application filed by Metuh, seeking an adjournment to his trial on health grounds.
The judge said that the letter which Metuh wanted the court to rely on to grant the adjournment was not a proper document before the court.
“I agree with the prosecution that the purported letter written by Dr O.C. Ekweogwu, who is unknown to the court, is trash and a useless paper meant for the dustbin, which was dumped on the court by the defence.
“ The said letter was fraudulently smuggled into the records of the court by a person unknown to the court with the intent to stall proceedings. “
The judge said that there was a laid down procedure for filing a medical report in court.
He said it was not the place of a medical practitioner to write a lengthy letter with several medical terms that were meaningless to the court.
“The medical practitioner is to state the name of the illness and the period that the person will be incapacitated.”
The judge further said that although the application by the prosecution to revoke Metuh’s bail and commit him to prison deserved to succeed, he would not grant it based on compassionate grounds.
“ It is my humble view that the application of the prosecution to revoke the defendant’s bail deserves to succeed, but I have given due consideration to the arguments of counsel to the defendant.
“In view of the passionate plea of the defendant’s counsel who I have respect for, I hereby suspend my decision to revoke bail, but I ask that the defendant turns a new leaf.”
The judge, however, said that if Metuh failed to appear in court on the next adjourned date, he would revoke the bail.
“Arrest is a consequential order if bail is revoked, and so if the defendant’s bail is revoked, he will be arrested.
“The outcome of his response when he appears in court will determine whether or not to put him in prison.”
The court said that it was not inclined to try Metuh in absentia, as it was contrary to Section 266 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.
The judge also said that he would no longer accept any medical report with respect to Metuh, issued by a doctor in Nigeria.
Metuh is standing trial over allegations of receiving N400 million from the former National Security Adviser, retired Col. Sambo Dasuki and also money laundering charges involving $2 billion.
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has called on Nigerians to reject silence in the face of extrajudicial killings and other abuses of human rights.
Soyinka stressed that accountability and civic courage remain essential to rebuilding public confidence in the nation’s institutions.
He made the call during the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture held in Port Harcourt, last Friday as part of activities marking his 92nd birthday.
The lecture, themed “Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage,” drew participants from different sectors of society.
The renowned playwright and human rights advocate said the country’s greatest tragedy was not only the unlawful killings carried out by state and non-state actors, but also the silence that often follows such incidents, allowing perpetrators to evade justice.
According to him, indifference by citizens to abuses of power and violations of fundamental human rights has contributed to the persistence of extrajudicial killings and other forms of injustice across the country.
Soyinka said he dedicated this year’s lecture to victims of unlawful killings, noting that the event was intended to honour individuals who had lost their lives as a result of failures within the justice system and society’s inability to protect the sanctity of human life.
He stressed that the lecture was dedicated to what he described as the basic unit of every society – the human being, and urged Nigerians to place greater value on human dignity irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social status.
The Nobel Laureate recalled several incidents of violence, including the fatal shooting and killing of a young man in Ugheli in Delta State by a police officer, and the mob killing of Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto State sometime ago, lamenting that many of those responsible are yet to face justice.
He expressed concern that some perpetrators of violent crimes had openly admitted their actions without fear of prosecution, describing such situations as evidence of serious failures within the nation’s justice system.
Soyinka maintained that when justice is delayed or denied, public confidence in state institutions continues to erode, thereby encouraging further violations of human rights.
Responding to critics who accuse him of promoting religious or ethnic divisions whenever he spoke on such issues, Soyinka dismissed the allegations and pointed out that his advocacy has always centred on the protection of human life and the rule of law.
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and continue demanding justice in cases of alleged extrajudicial killings, including the recent shooting of a young man by a police officer, stressing that every life deserves equal protection under the law.
The literary icon also recalled an earlier pledge by a past incoming president to make public the files relating to unresolved assassinations and extrajudicial killings, questioning the status of the promised investigations.
He challenged citizens to continue asking questions about unresolved cases, insisting that justice, accountability and respect for human dignity are indispensable to building a peaceful, democratic and inclusive Nigerian society.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has clarified that there was no fire at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, contrary to its earlier advisory.
Earlier yesterday, FAAN had announced that a fire incident had occurred at Terminal 2 of the nation’s busiest airport, and assured that its Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service had been deployed to contain the situation.
There were also reports that activities were briefly disrupted at the airport yesterday after smoke was seen inside parts of the terminal.
Videos circulating online showed passengers kept standing outside the terminal while firefighters responded to the incident.
However, in an update issued less than two hours later by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, and posted on FAAN’s official X handle, the authority said preliminary findings showed that the smoke seen at the terminal was caused by the discharge of the facility’s FM-200 fire suppression system.
“Further to our earlier advisory regarding the incident at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) wishes to provide the following update,” the statement read.
“Preliminary findings indicate that there was no fire at the terminal. The smoke observed within the affected area resulted from the discharge of the terminal’s FM-200 fire suppression system. The reason for the activation of the fire suppression system is currently being investigated,” FAAN stated.
The authority said normal operations had resumed at the terminal while investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the incident.
“Normal operations have since resumed at the terminal, while detailed investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the incident,” the statement added.
The authority thanked passengers, airlines, airport users and other stakeholders for their understanding and cooperation.
FAAN appreciated the understanding and cooperation of passengers, airlines, airport users and all stakeholders, and reiterated its commitment to the safety and security of all airport operations.