Lagos based Refrigerator repairer, Mr. Olalekan Kayode, yesterday,
escaped jail by the whiskers, as a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja,
threatened to commit him to prison for attempting to claim the
$15million that was allegedly offered to the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission, EFCC, in 2007, by convicted former Governor of Delta
State, James Ibori.
Kayode had approached the court, asking it to compel the Central Bank
of Nigeria, CBN, to release the money to him for “proper management”,
saying he intends to commit it to a special trust that he said would be
manned by eminent Nigerians with a view to providing basic
infrastructure for the citizenry.
In an application he filed through his London based lawyer, Mr John
Olufemi Aina, Kayode, who said he resides and repairs Fridge and Air
Conditioners at Alagbado in Lagos State, maintained that instead of
allowing either FG or Delta State to take possession of the bribe money,
it should be handed to him, contending that going by its antecedents,
the Federal Government, has shown that it cannot be trusted to
effectively utilize the fund for the general welfare of the public.
He argued that there was no guarantee that the Delta State Government
which is equally laying claim to the money would not equally divert it
into private pockets, adding that he would channel part of the money
into charity based projects.
Meanwhile, the EFCC, through its lead counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs,
SAN, dismissed him as a big joke, describing him as a jobless busy-body
seeking cheap publicity.
Consequently, the agency urged the court to severely sanction him to
serve as a deterrent to any other person that may be nursing the
ambition of trivializing the matter, noting that the intending
“Intervener”, failed to show any recognizable interest rather than the
fact that identified himself as a Nigerian citizen that has a claim to
the fund by virtue of his citizenship.
“My lord, he is from Lagos State, resides at Alagbado where he
repairs Fridge and Air Condition. The intervener has not shown that he
will be affected more than any other Nigerian if this proceeding is
heard and determined in his absence. He is a mere busy-body, therefore
we are asking this court to dismiss this application with substantial
cost. That will deter others from coming to this court with similar
frivolous applications over this matter,” Rotimi added.
Likewise, the Delta State Government urged the court to dismiss the application as grossly lacking in merit.
Delivering his ruling yesterday, trial Justice Gabriel Kolawole, said
he would have ordered both the applicant and his lawyer to appear and
show cause why he should not be sent to prison for attempting to
ridicule the proceeding before the court, saying their only saving grace
was the fact that they feigned ignorance of a previous order of the
court dated July 24.
“I regret to say that the conduct of the interveners counsel leaves
much to be desired. He paid little or no regard to the rules of
professional conduct. I find his conduct highly despicable and
reprehensive” the judge fumed, adding, “He would have been turned to a
criminal suspect for trying to turn the proceeding of this court to a
circus.”
Meanwhile, Justice Kolawole, urged the National Executive Committee,
NEC, of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, to promptly punish the
applicants lawyer, saying it was such conduct that brings the judiciary
to disrepute.
The substantive suit was however adjourned till December 11 for
hearing on why final forfeiture order should not be made in favour of
the Federal Government.
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