FG May File Fresh Charges Against Igboho

Following the verdict of the Oyo State High Court, which granted N20 billion in damages to Yoruba secessionist activist Sunday Adeyemo (also known as Sunday Igboho), the Federal Government says it may initiate a new lawsuit against him.

Abubakar Malami, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in New York that the federal government has the option of appealing the judgment or filing a new case.

The money was given by the court, Ladiran Akintola, as “exemplary and aggravated damages” against the AGF and the State Security Service (SSS) for the July 1 invasion of Adeyemo’s home in Ibadan.

SEE ALSO Oyo Court Orders The Federal Government to Pay N20 billion to Igboho.

However, Malami said the position of the federal government on the judgment was about “law and jurisdiction”.

In his words, “As far as this matter is concerned, which court is it that has the jurisdiction to determine it? And as you rightly know, obedient to court orders and court judgments, But then you have to understand within the context of such obedience that there are associated rights and interests that are vested in the Federal Government.

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“Inclusive of rights of appealing against a judgment, inclusive of right to file an application for setting aside the purported judgment and order.

“And indeed, inclusive of the possibility of filling a fresh action if indeed the jurisdiction of the court that was alleged to have indeed handed that judgment is an issue.

“So, we are doing the needful in terms of looking at the law as it exists and then working within the context of the law in ensuring that justice is done as far as the contending issues between the parties are concerned,’’ the minister explained.

Recall that Igboho’s counsel, Yomi Alliyu, SAN, had filed a N500 billion fundamental human rights enforcement suit against the AGF, SSS and the Director of the SSS in Oyo State over the invasion of his home in Ibadan on July 1.

Alliyu stated that his client’s house and automobiles were damaged, and that SSS operatives killed two of the property’s residents during the incident.

However, AGF’s attorney, Abdullah Abubakar, contended in court that there was no evidence that the blood visible in the video footage presented by Alliyu belonged to a human being.

Abubakar further stated that nothing in the video clip indicated that the residence invaded belonged to Igboho or linked the AGF to the invasion.

Sunday Igboho is still being held in the Republic of Benin, where he was apprehended while attempting to flee to Germany a few weeks ago.