Court hears suit on Kogi Assembly crisis today

From Godwin Tsa Abuja

LEGAL fireworks com­menced today at the Abuja division of the Fed­eral High Court in the suit challenging the alleged impeachment of Kogi State House of Assembly Speaker, Mr. Momoh La­wal.

Listed as defendants in the action brought by the speaker and his po­litical platform, the Peo­ples Democratic Party (PDP), are the five law­makers who executed the impeachment, Umar Imam, Friday Sani, Lawi Ahmed, Bello Abdullahi and John Abah.

The nominal defen­dants include the attorney general of the federation, the inspector general of police, the director gen­eral of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

Justice Nnamdi Dimg­ba fixed the date after he granted the application of the plaintiffs for substi­tuted service of the court processes on the five pro-impeachment lawmakers.

The judge gave the plaintiffs leave to serve the defendants through newspaper publica­tions after it declined the prayer by counsel to the plaintiffs, Mr. Emeka Etiaba (SAN), to effect the service through cou­rier.

Justice Dimgba also abridged the time for ap­pearance and filing of de­fence by the defendants to seven days.

Moving two ex-parte motions, Etiaba told the court that the five law­makers had been evad­ing service.

Lawal was reportedly impeached on February 16 along with other prin­cipal members of Kogi State House Assembly by five lawmakers under the alleged protection of law enforcement agents.

Although the Nation­al Assembly has taken over the duties of the state assembly, pro-im­peachment lawmakers were said to be carrying on the business of the House .