The Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday presided over by Justice James Omotosho ordered an investigation of Prosecution Counsel Ibrahim Mohammed, who filed an eight-count charge on felony and alleged forgery against Senator Stella Oduah.

Justice James' directive was centered on the discovery that the prosecuting counsel who filed the charge on the 22nd June, 2023 purporting to be a staff of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), had in fact been disengaged from the legal unit of the EFCC since November 2022.

Recall that The Federal Government had slammed an eight-count charge against former Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Listed as the sole defendant in the suit filed by the FG through the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the former lawmaker is being accused of falsely claiming to have lost her National Youth Service Corps certificate, among other alleged offenses.

However at the resumption of the hearing on Tuesday, the Court expressed dismay as it queried why a prosecutor will deliberately mislead the court having left the service of the EFCC more than 6 months before the charge was filed. The court also questioned the absence of the seal of the legal practitioner to authenticate that he is indeed a lawyer called to the Nigerian Bar.

When the matter was called, the counsel announced his appearance for the Nigeria Police Force.

The court queried why the charge is coming in the name of EFCC when the prosecutor is from the Police.

The police lawyer, who suddenly became incoherent in his response, admitted that he left EFCC in November 2022 at the Benin office for the Force Headquarters on redeployment back to the police.

He also admitted filing the charges on June 22 this year in the name of EFCC, seven months later, but it was done in error.

He (Ibrahim) added that he resumed work at the legal department of the police headquarters in January 2023.

Following the various anomaly that besieged the charge, the Judge handed the prosecuting counsel to the court officers and made an order directing the court officer's 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.

The judge said, “Would a reasonable man believe you? You will go to EFCC and explain. I will call for an investigation of the council.”

In his brief ruling, Justice Omotoso said, “In view of the fact that Ibrahim Mohammed signed this charge on June 22 and has admitted himself to have left EFCC in November 2022, this court made an order for the EFCC to investigate and report back. Counsel shall report to EFCC immediately.”

Part of the ruling read; A look at the charged discloses that the allegations contained therein are politically motivated as no fraud or offense is disclosed in the charge. The desperation that gave rise to a prosecutor going all out to deliberately mislead a court in order to persecute a woman for political gains or to settle political scores leaves much to be desired.

Meanwhile, further hearing in the matter was shifted to July 18, when the anti-graft agency must have completed its investigation and reported to the court.

https://tribuneonlineng.com/stella-oduahs-arraignment-court-orders-investigation-of-prosecutor/