Metuh: Court Gives Bailiff 5 Days to Serve Jonathan, Dasuki Summons

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Wednesday, October 25th, 2017

ABUJA, NIGERIA (AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Justice Okon Abang of a Federal High Court in Abuja Wednesday gave the court bailiff five days to serve the immediate past President Goodluck Jonathan with the subpoena compelling him to appear before court with respect to the alleged N400m ongoing trial of a former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, Olisa Metuh.

Similarly, Justice Abang ordered the prosecutor, Mr. Sylvanus Tahir, to persuade plaintiff, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission EFCC, to explore administrative means of ensuring that the Department of State Service DSS produce former National Security Adviser NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd), in court on Tuesday, October 31, 2017.

In his ruling, Justice Abang noted that without the two summoned witnesses (Jonathan and Dasuki) appearing, the court could not make any headway in the case.

Similarly, the judge noted that while the former NSA had been served with the court subpoena, Jonathan was yet to be served, hence, the reason he could not be blamed for failure to attend court Wednesday.

However, Justice Abang held that singular attempt by the court bailiff to serve Jonathan personally with the witness summon at his home in Abuja, was not enough.

Consequently, he ordered that the bailiff should go further to ensure personal service on Jonathan within five days from today (Wednesday).

Justice Okon also ruled that after five days, the bailiff failed to serve ex-President personally, the applicant for the subpoena (Metuh), should begin a fresh process of serving the ex-President through substituted means.

The court had so far based on the applications issued two separate subpoenas on both Jonathan and Dasuki, to appear in court Wednesday, yet, none of the witnesses appeared in court.