Advertisement

The Abuja division of the Federal High Court sitting, yesterday, in Abuja, dismissed a suit seeking to declare the apex Igbo social-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo as an illegal association.

Advertisement

Justice Inyang Ekwo specifically dismissed an application brought by the Incorporated Trustees of Ohanaeze Ndigbo General Assembly, seeking an order to compel the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu and the Attorney General of the Federation to commence criminal prosecution of Ohanaeze Ndigbo President-General, Prof. George Obiozor, and others, for allegedly operating an unregistered association.

The applicant of the suit had claimed that the apex Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, was an illegal association. Ruling in the suit filed by Amobi Nzelu, on behalf of the applicant for a judicial review, Justice Ekwo held that the applicant has failed to furnish the court with facts that would warrant the granting of its relief.

In the suit marked, FHC/ABJ/CS/56/2021, the applicant applied for leave for the issuance of an order of mandamus compelling the IGP and AGF to exercise its powers and “arrest, investigate and commence criminal proceedings against Prof. George Obiozor, Obi Nwali, Okey Emuche, Beatrice Eze, Bartholomew Okeke and Ogbonna for running an illegal and/or unregistered association known as Ohanaeze Ndigbo.”

Advertisement

The motion exparte was brought pursuant to order 34 Rules 1(a) and (3) of the Federal High Court Rules 2019 and section 6(6) (a) of the 1999 constitution. The plaintiff’s counsel had alleged that while his client is registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), the name “Ohanaeze Ndigbo” was not captured in the commission’s record as the organisation headed by Prof. Obiozor.

But in his ruling, Justice Ekwo said the applicant failed to provide facts to guarantee the success of his application. Subsequently, he termed the suit as frivolous and dismissed it for lacking in merit.

The ruling partly reads: “In my opinion, where such prayer is sought, it must be demonstrated with concrete evidence that those sought to be arrested, investigated and prosecuted have criminal offence(s) known to  law.”

Advertisement

Source: www.sunnewsonline.com

Advertisement