Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja has instructed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to uncover the individuals responsible for breaching his privacy through text messages on his phone in a fraud suit involving Senator Stella Oduah and others.
During a court session on Thursday, Justice Ekwo shared copies of the messages with the lawyers representing the parties involved. However, the scheduled arraignment of Oduah was postponed by the judge due to alleged threats to his life from unidentified individuals.
Justice Ekwo presented a publication by the group in which his life was severely threatened over the planned trial. As a result, he declared that proceedings would not commence until the culprits were presented on the next adjourned date.
Furthermore, the judge directed the deputy chief registrar of the Federal High Court in charge of litigation to collaborate with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to obtain the identities of the promoters of the offending organization for the purpose of their arrest.
Emphasizing the importance of upholding the sanctity of the court, Justice Ekwo stated that Nigeria was not a country where acts of lawlessness could be tolerated. He ordered the prosecution to bring the culprits to court to ensure the safety and security of the defendants during the trial.
The EFCC’s counsel, Ofem Uket, expressed disappointment regarding the situation and assured the court that the anti-graft agency would take the necessary steps to apprehend those responsible.
However, Uket requested the court not to allow unidentified persons acting as external third parties to disrupt the trial.
Consequently, the judge adjourned the case until July 17 for a progress report.
Previously, on June 5, Justice Ekwo had warned individuals sending him private messages in the N5 billion suit filed by the EFCC against Senator Oduah to refrain from invading his privacy.
In the lawsuit, the EFCC accused Oduah, Gloria Odita, Nwosu Emmanuel Nnamdi, Chukwuma Irene Chinyere, Global Offshore and Marine Ltd, Tip Top Global Resources Ltd, Crystal Television Ltd, Sobora International Ltd, and others of conspiracy, money laundering, and maintaining anonymous bank accounts with a commercial bank. The charges stem from Oduah’s tenure as Minister of Aviation during President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.
