By sleeknews
The Director of Public affairs Ahmed Bola Tinubu’s Presidential Campaign Council, Festus Keyamo, SAN, on Friday dragged Atiku Abubakar the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, before the Federal High Court seeking an order to compel investigation and prosecution of Atiku for alleged frauds.
Joined as defendants in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/84/2023 are Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Code of Conduct Bureau, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission,ICPC, and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, as 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants respectively.
Keyamo who last week threatened to institute a legal action against Atiku has by the suit asked the court for a declaration that the 1st Defendant is under a legal obligation to make available to the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Defendants, for the purpose of aiding their investigation, information available to him in respect of a certain bank account belonging to a company named Marine Float.
To make available to other defendants
Information on other accounts of two undisclosed companies, which information he disclosed to a certain close aide of his called Michael Achimugu, as to how the said accounts were used as a “Special Purpose Vehicles” to secretly divert and misappropriate public funds between 1999 and 2007 when Atiku served as Vice President of Nigeria.
A declaration of this Honourable Court that the 1st Defendant is under a legal obligation to submit himself to the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Defendants for thorough investigation in connection with information available to him in respect of a certain bank account belonging to a company named Marine Float .
“And other accounts of two undisclosed companies, which information he disclosed to a certain close aide of his called Michael Achimugu, as to how the said accounts were used as a “Special Purpose Vehicles” to secretly divert and misappropriate public funds between 1999 and 2007 when the 1st Defendant served as Vice President of Nigeria.
A further declaration of the Court that the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Defendants are under a legal obligation to invite and/or arrest, investigate and (if found wanting) prosecute the 1st Defendant in respect of information available to the 1st Defendant in respect of a certain bank account belonging to a company named Marine Float.
Also “other accounts of two undisclosed companies, which information he disclosed to a certain close aide of his called Michael Achimugu, as to how the said accounts were used as “Special Purpose Vehicles” to secretly divert and misappropriate public funds between 1999 and 2007 when the 1st Defendant served as Vice President of Nigeria.”
Keyamo also prayed for three mandatory orders from the court “compelling the Code of Conduct Bureau, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Defendants respectively to invite and/or arrest, investigate
“And (if found wanting) prosecute the 1st Defendant in respect of information available to the 1st Defendant in respect of a certain bank account belonging to a company named Marine Float and other accounts of two undisclosed companies, which information he disclosed to a certain close aide of his called Michael Achimugu,
“As to how the said accounts were used as “Special Purpose Vehicles” to secretly divert and misappropriate public funds between 1999 and 2007 when the 1st Defendant served as Vice President of Nigeria.”
Keyamo a serving minister minister of State for Labour and employment Futher prayed for further order or orders that the Honourable Court may make in the circumstance of this case.
In an 18 paragraphs statement of claim, Keyamo detailed a phone conversations between one Michael Achimugu and Atiku Abubakar where the information relating to the commission of the crimes was discussed.
Keyamo a member of the Inner Bar (a Senior Advocate of Nigeria), who has spent the 30 years of his legal practice fighting for the rights of the downtrodden and the development of constitutional democracy in Nigeria, said he had been a private prosecuting counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission .
He said he has the capacity and had prosecuted several Politically Exposed Persons on behalf of the Commission. He has also handled several constitutional and landmark cases in almost all branches of the legal profession, and many on pro bono basis.
Keyamo said the “Affidavit of Michael Achimugu which was deposed on the 2nd of December, 2022 is hereby pleaded and shall be relied upon at the trial of this suit.”