The Guardian (Nigeria)

Tinubu has absolved FG, others from culpabilit­y, says Daini

- By Joseph Onyekwere

AN appellant, Dr. Oluwole Adeoye Daini has declared that President Bola Tinubu has disencumbe­red several g o v e r n m e n t establishm­ents from any criminalit­y in the appeals he won.

This, he said, was done through the lawful and constituti­onal admissions of the deposition­s in the two affidavits of facts he deposed to in the Supreme Court on April 2, 2024. Daini was the appellant in the concluded appeals No CA/ A/ 702/ 2013 and CA/ ABJ/ PRE/ ROA/ CV/ 281M1/ 2 023.

His words: “As part of the consummati­on of the decriminal­isation of the Federal Government, the Attorney General of the Federation, the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Universiti­es Commission in appeal No CA/ A/ 702/ 2013 and for the extricatio­n of the Court of

Appeal and the Federal High Court and their alter egos from any form of complicity in the criminal acts of conspiracy and forgery of the 04/ 12/ 2009dated judgment in suit No FHC/ ABJ/ M/ 692/ 07, the president freed them from culpabilit­y.”

Similarly, he stated that the Chief Justice of Nigeria/ Chairman National Judicial Council, the FCT High Court, the Chief Judge of the FCT High Court, the trial Judge, the staff of the Registry of the FCT High Court, the Nigerian Bar Associatio­n and the Nigeria Police are all extricated from any form of complicity in and/ or conspiracy and fabricatio­n of false evidence.

The false evidence, Daini explained, was presented in a judicial proceeding where motion No 743/ 19 was forged in an applicatio­n dated March 8, 2019.

He stated that the forged document was used to unlawfully arrest the causeliste­d judgment of the FCT High Court on March 13, 2019 in the suit marked CV/ 1432/ 2018.

Daini said the President has disencumbe­red the appointees of the government from such criminalit­ies through the lawful admissions of his deposition­s in the two affidavits of facts, which he deposed to in the Supreme Court on April 2, 2024.

He said: “The presidenti­al act of removing the encumbranc­es from the g o v e r n m e n t establishm­ents and appointees was after the concluded appeal No CA/ A/ 702/ 2013 and the appeal motion marked CA/ ABJ/ PRE/ ROA/ CV/ 281M1/ 2 023 respective­ly in the Court of Appeal Abuja Division.

“The government establishm­ents from which the encumbranc­es were removed by the President included the law enforcemen­t agencies and allied establishm­ents such as the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation, Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Army, Nigeria Navy, Nigeria Air Force, NSCDC, NDLEA, Nigeria Immigratio­n Services, Nigeria Customs Services, Nigeria Correction­al Services, the National Judicial Council, the Court of Appeal and the Federal High Court.”

According to him, President Tinubu disencumbe­red those g o v e r n m e n t establishm­ents and their appointees from culpabilit­y, as contained in the rejoinders dated March 11, 2024 and April 2, 2024, which he wrote to the President.

Also, they are absolved from guilt following unchalleng­ed Supreme Court affidavits of facts, which he legally deposed to in compliance with the provisions of the 1999 Constituti­on, various West African, African and United

Nations Charters, Treaties and Convention­s to which Nigeria is a signatory.

He, therefore, called on the President to salvage the real assets of the Federal Government that had been forfeited by the government by paying for same in lieu of their public disposal following the concluded appeal No CA/ A/ 702/ 2013 and the concluded appeal motion m a r k e d CA/ ABJ/ PRE/ ROA/ CV/ 281M1/ 2 023.

This, he said, followed the valuation of the forfeited assets.

He explained further that the President has to prevent the conduct of any form of government businesses or government- endorsed activities in any of the forfeited assets, as that would amount to the government embarking on gross illegality, which violates the rule of law and subvert the Nigerian democracy.

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