Commotion stalls arraignment of two OGFZA staff over alleged forgery

A scene of commotion unfolded at the premises of a Chief Magistrate Court in Wuse Zone 6, Abuja on Wednesday, causing a disruption in the arraignment proceedings of two staff members of the Oil and Gas Free Zone Authority (OGFZA) who were accused of forgery.

The disturbance began shortly after Chief Magistrate Emmanuel Iyanna temporarily postponed a case involving Samuel Agozie, who was facing charges related to cybercrime.

During the proceedings, two prosecution counsels announced their appearance, prompting opposition from Mr. Marvin Omorogbe, counsel for the defendant.

Omorogbe insisted that the court address the issue of representation before proceeding further.

As the two prosecution counsels failed to resolve the matter among themselves, the court decided to adjourn the case.

Outside the courtroom, a confrontation erupted between the defendant’s counsel and the prosecution, resulting in raised voices and disturbance around the court premises, disrupting court proceedings.

In response, the Chief Magistrate retreated to his chamber, and parties involved in the ongoing cases were instructed to reschedule their hearings for a later date.

The Court had, on February 19, granted leave to a complainant in the case involving the OGFZA officials, Olufunmilayo David Omosule to file the processes in response to the preliminary objections of the defendants standing trial out of time.

Chief Magistrate Emmanuel Iyanna granted the motion, which sought to regularise the counter affidavit to the preliminary objections of the two defendants and to file same out of time, after it was moved by Ruth Idowu, counsel to Omosule.

Counsel to the defendants, Michael Ajara, who did not oppose the motion to file the processes out of time by the complainant, told the court that it was only the second defendant that was in court.

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He said, “In view of the fact that the second defendant comes all the way from Port-Harcourt, we have agreed with the complainant for the matter to be adjourned till April 3, 2024”.

The two OGFZA officials, Mr. Wasiu Sule, the Head of Legal Services and Secretary to OGFZA’s Board and Mr. Alenju Ngofa, the Head of Human Resources of the organisation, who are the first and second defendants, are accused of forgery and falsification of documents.

OGFZA and the nominal complainant, Olufunmilayo David Omosule, had been locked in a legal battle over the legality or otherwise of his suspension following his petition against some management staff of the agency over alleged corruption.

Omosule had alleged that the defendants wilfully and maliciously distorted his records “to appear as though he does not possess any requisite qualification to be employed at OGFZA or any qualification at all to be considered for promotion.”

The agency had, via a letter dated April 18, 2011, suspended Omosule as the manager of its Abuja office on the grounds that he refused to comply with its letter dated December 3, 2010, which had directed him to present the originals of his credentials for verification.

Omosule, however, refuted the claim of the authority, stating that he made available to the organisation Certified True Copies (CTCs) of his educational certificates and credentials, including GCE ‘O Level and degree certificates, as instructed.

He had claimed that the originals of his credentials were misplaced in untraceable circumstances as at 2010 when the request to submit them was made, and averred that the CTCs of his certificates submitted to the agency were certified by the issuing institutions, which included the West African Examination Council (WAEC) and the University of Ado-Ekiti, then Ondo State University, Ado-Ekiti, respectively.

The claimant is therefore seeking a declaration that he was still a staff member of the organisation and entitled to all the rights, privileges, and benefits due to him because of his employment.

He is praying to the court for an order directing the defendants to reinstate him to the position of a director on grade level 17, a position he claimed his contemporaries were currently in, as well as an order directing the agency to pay all his outstanding salaries, benefits, and entitlements since 2011.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE