Court Hands Over Lawyer To EFCC For Wrongful Criminal Charges Against Stella Oduah

Federal High Court, Abuja, has ordered the arrest and investigation of a prosecutor who filed a criminal charge against the lawmaker representing Anambra North Senatorial District, Senator Stella Oduah on the allegation of the forgery of her National Youths Service Corp, NYSC certificate.

Justice James Omotosho after the inspection of the charge before him, discovered that the prosecuting counsel who filed the charge on June 22, 2023 posed to be a staff member of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

However, the EFCC discharged the individual from its legal unit since November 2022.

The Court was surprised on why the prosecutor will deliberately mislead the court having left the service of the EFCC more than 6 months before the charge was filed.

Justice Omotosho further questioned the absence of the seal of the legal practitioner to authenticate that he is indeed a lawyer called to the Nigerian Bar.

Following the various anomalies that besieged the charge, the Judge handed the prosecuting counsel to the court officer.

Justice Omotosho further made an order directing the court officers to hand over the prosecuting counsel to the EFCC, who are to conduct an investigation on the counsel as to reasons why he was discharged from the EFCC and that the report of investigation should be issued to the court as soon as possible.

A further look into the charge revealed that the allegations are politically motivated as no fraud or offence is disclosed in the charge.

The court viewed it as a desperation that gave rise to a prosecutor going all out to deliberately mislead a court in other to persecute a woman for political gains or to settle political scores leaves much to be desired.