From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
The Abuja division of the Federal High Court has quashed the eighth-count criminal charges brought against a Lagos State monarch, the Onikosi of Ikosi, Oba Alami Oloyede Onikosi, and three others bordering on forgery and falsification of a Supreme Court judgment, as well as perjury.
Others charged alongside the Lagos monarch in the charged No: FHC/ABJ/CR/242/2022 are Muyideen Fabunmi, Alademehim Samuel and High Chief Michael Adesegun Onikoro.
Although the defendants were arraigned before the court, they all entered a plea of not guilty to all the eighth charges that were filed by the police prosecutor and Chief Superintendent of Police Joe Nwakedi.
However, Justice Inyang Ekwo, in his judgment delivered on May 11, 2023, upheld the no-case submission filed by the defendants and, accordingly, quashed all the count charges.
In the said judgment, Justice Ekwo agreed with the defence counsel that the subject matter of the charge is pending at the Lagos division of the Court of Appeal No: CA/LAG/CV/159/22, Chief Yahaya Hassan Akintola and five others.
The judge equally held that all the eighth counts as contained in the charge are, therefore, prejudicial to the pending appeal No: CA/LAG/CV/159/22.
It was the position of the court that the action of the police in the charge is in contempt of the Lagos division of the Court of Appeal.
In addition, the court held that, “it’s an aberration for law enforcement agencies to intervene in a matter already before a court of competent jurisdiction in the name of investigation.
The Federal Government had, in charge No: FHC/ABJ/CR/242/2022, alleged that the monarch and his accomplices were also accused of committing perjury.