Court Threatens To Jail President Buhari, Senate President, Malami, Lauretta Onochie, Others For Contempt

President Muhammadu Buhari, Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, and Senate President, Ahmad Lawan have been warned by a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja for flouting an earlier restraining order.
Others in the suit are Special Adviser on Social Media to the president, Lauretta Onochie and Samuel Ogbuku.

The court in a notice of consequences of disobedience dated December 23, 2022, gave a warning to President Buhari, Lawan, Onochie and others.

The notice read, ‘’Take notice that unless you obey the directions contained in this order, you will be guilty of contempt of court and will be liable to be committed to prison.”

The court also stopped President Buhari from swearing in Onochie and Ogbuku.

Recall that the Senate last week screened and confirmed Onochie and Ogbuku as Chairman and Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission respectively.

The court had earlier granted an order stopping the National Assembly from screening and confirming the nomination of Onochie and Ogbuku.

The presiding judge, Justice J. K. Omotosho, instructed that all actions on the matter be suspended pending the determination of the suit.

Among other things, the originating summons marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2294/2022 is seeking a restraining order on the National Assembly from screening and confirming the duo.

The plaintiffs, Chief Edward Ekpokpo Esq., and Victor Wood who are both representing the Itsekiri Leaders of Thought and Mr Edward Omagbemi who is presenting Omadino Unity Forum all on behalf of the Itsekiri ethnic nationality are challenging the nomination on the grounds that it is the turn of the Itsekiri nationality to occupy the positions.

The first to sixth defendants in the suit are President Buhari, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Malami; Senate President, Lawan, Lauretta Onochie and Samuel Ogbuku.