Looters’ List: Metuh Moves To Sue FG

The former spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh, says he has directed his lawyers to review the implications of including his name in federal government’s list of looters.
Metuh in a statement issued last Saturday in Abuja said he had also asked his lawyer to take appropriate steps for redress.
The former national publicity  secretary  of PDP, said his attention had been drawn to the recent release of names of ‘looters’ by the All Progressives Congress led-Federal Government through the Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed.
Metuh said that by the publication, the federal government had breached Nigerian Constitution by seeking to burden him with two criminal trials on the same charge, “one before Justice Okon Abang and the other before the media.
“In response to the scandalous publication, I wish to state as follows:
“Since my arrest on January 5, 2016 and subsequent arraignment, I have refrained from publicly discussing my persecution and travails by the government.
“This is because as a lawyer, trained in the finest traditions of the Bar, I know that it is wrong to discuss a matter that is subjudice.
“However the present action of the government leaves me no option than to defend my name and integrity.
”I have therefore decided to avail the public of the true state of the contrived case against me.
“The charge against me is that I received the sum of N400 million from the Office of the National Security Adviser to carry out duties assigned to me as the then spokesman of the PDP by then President”, he said.
Metuh added that the major crux of the prosecution argument was that he ought to have known that the money was a part of an alleged and yet to be proven unlawful activity of Col Sambo Dasuki(rtd), former NSA to President Jonathan.
He said that the charge was brought regardless of the fact that neither Jonathan, who directed the release of the funds, nor Dasuki, who effected the release had ever been interrogated nor even interviewed in this regard.