PRESS RELEASE BY FESTUS KEYAMO CHAMBERS

A Chief Magistrate Court, Zone 6, Wuse Abuja, presided over by Chief Magistrate O.O Oyewumi (Mrs.) this morning threw out an application filed by the Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Customs Service, Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko seeking to set aside the court order that the Police should investigate his alleged forged certificates.

On the issue of locus standi raised by Dikko the court ruled that the fact that Olajide Ibrahim is an accomplice to the said offence of forgery and has made confessional statements to that effect, it will be wrong to deny him fair hearing. Also, that since section 149 of the Criminal Procedure Code gives “any person” the right to approach the court on such criminal complaints, then the court has jurisdiction to entertain the complaint and Mr. Festus Keyamo and Olajide Ibrahim are duly before the court.

Having cleared the preliminary objection from the way, the court then fixed December 15, 2009, for the application to compel the Police to bring the result of their investigation to the court.

From the above, it is obvious that the hide-and-seek game of the Comptroller –General of Customs is coming to an end.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

For: Festus Keyamo Chambers

UGOCHUKWU EZEKIEL, ESQ.

Counsel