Jalla, Aderibigbe Get Date To Appeal ‘Dubious’ Ruling For Pinnick, 4 Other Top Officials
InsideGlassHouse.com has gathered that interested parties led by Harrison Jalla and Oyetunde Aderibigbe will soon get a date for hearing in their appeal against “dubious” ruling by Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu that purportedly discharged and acquitted NFF President Amaju Pinnick and four other top officials.
The other officials are 1st Vice President Seyi Akinwunmi, 2nd Vice President Shehu Dikko, NFF Executive Committee member Ahmed Yusuf Fresh and NFF General Secretary Mohammed Sanusi.
Jalla and Aderibigbe as “Interested Party” dragged Justice Ojukwu to National Judicial Council (NJC) after insisting her ruling in favour of Pinnick and the other officials in suit number FHC/ABJ/93/2019 was “dubious”
The ruling was handed down on the 5th of November 2019.
The stakeholders demanded that the conduct of Justice Ojukwu be investigated.
A leading legal expert Olasupo Azeez said the ruling was not known to law.
“The acquittal of the defendants in this case is coming as a big surprise and which is not known to our law and does not have a place in our constitution,” he stated.
“Although having gone through the ruling of the court, the court has premised its reason under Section 355 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, which states that ‘where a complainant applied that a matter should be withdrawn the court in its own wisdom can decide to acquit the defendant’.
“We are not unaware of the section 355 of ACJA but we submit with utmost respect that section 355 of ACJA is only in respect where prosecutor is withdrawing the matter on its own volition and not on the authority of the Attorney General of the Federation.”
He added, “And Section 107 and 108 of the same ACJA put it clear that once that power has been exercised by the Attorney General of the Federation, it shall be a discharge and shall not serve as a bar (acquit) to further prosecution and or reframe of charges against the defendants on account of some elements and or facts.”
