Another Critical Look At Olisa Metuh’s N400m Case

By Mallam Umaru Idris

Participants on Channels TV morning discussion program, Sunrise Daily of Thursday, August 3, 2017 brought a new twist to the on-going prosecution of the former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh for receiving the sum of N400 million alleged to be “part of the proceeds of illegal activities” of Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd).

A legal practitioner, Mathias Emeribe who appeared on the Channels TV program queried the legal basis for prosecuting Metuh when Dasuki has not yet been charged for that particular issue or convicted by any court of law in the country.

According to Emeribe, “the case of the $2.1 billion arms deal money involving Col. Dasuki and that of the former PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh raises a lot of issues.

“If Metuh is being prosecuted for receiving N400 million money from the alleged $2.1 billion arms deal money, the first question that needs to be determined is; is there actually a missing $2.1 billion? Who does it lie on to say there was a missing or stolen $2.1 billion? In other words, the court must first of all come to the conclusion that $2.1 billion was missing, and then you talk about the issue of the persons who stole the money.

“The issue here is that if you go ahead to prosecute and find the man who received N400 million ‘guilty’ (in quotes) and it happens that the $2.1 billion we are talking about is not there and the main actor goes to the court and he is not found guilty, on what basis will the person who received N400 million be convicted?” he queried, stating that such is the reason such cases should be reviewed.

Another issue that bugs the mind in the Metuh case is the refusal of the Judge, Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court Abuja to grant Metuh’s application to compel Col. Dasuki to appear in court to testify on the matter, even when he is the central character related to the charges preferred against Metuh.

The question is, what stops the judge from ordering the appearance of Dasuki even when he has the jurisdiction and powers to do so in the overall interest of justice and fairness; and even when the constitution has guaranteed that an accused be provided adequate facility to defend himself? How would Abang determine that the source of the money is illegal if he does not put Dasuki in the box? Or has he precluded that the EFCC must be right simply because it is EFCC?

The worry here is the apparent politicization of corruption cases in Nigeria. The handling of Metuh’s case by the EFCC and the trial court evokes a lot of debates on the principles of justice and fairness, and may be a sour point in our justice system and question of national polity, especially given the controversial allusion to the 97% versus the 5%.

Zoo

That is very true. Let Olisa Metuh go into indefinite detection without trial while Dasuki Sambo comes out and start going to court every time like Olisa is doing now.

I have been seeing cowards... I have never seen a coward like olisa metuh. Biacowards sha.

Gyrations to demonstrate political correctness...no actual intentions of fighting corruption