Fani Kayode sues Lai Mohammed over looters list

FOR including his name in the looter’s list,  former Minister of Aviation, Mr Femi Fani-Kayode, sued Mr Lai Mohammed, Nigeria’s Minister of Information, before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos.

Fani-Kayode, through his lawyer, Mr Ferdinand Orbih, Monday told Justice Rilwan Aikawa, that his application against Mohammed was brought pursuant to the provisions of the Sheriffs and Civil Processes Act, as well as the  Court’s Civil Procedure Rules.

He said his application was seeking leave of the court, to serve the motion on notice, on the Minister of Information, on alleged acts of contempt.

Orbih (SAN), also told the court that the Minister had published a list of looters some weeks back, and had named Fani Kayode as number 19 on that list.

According to Fani-Kayode’s lawyer, the defence views such act very seriously, as it is an attempt to interfere with the proceedings before the court, and portray his client as already guilty of the charges preferred.

He, therefore, urged the court to grant the exparte application enabling the defence to serve the said motion on notice on the Minister in Abuja, by substituted means, as personal service may not be feasible.

He argued that the court possessed powers to order that the motion is served on any responsible senior official of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, and therefore, urged the court to grant his application.

In a short ruling, Justice Mohammed Aikawa held: “I have perused the application including the supporting affidavits and I am satisfied that the application ought to be granted.

“The application is granted, save that it should be served on his confidential Secretary in Abuja,” he said.

In a related development, the Court also adjourned until October 2, the Money laundering trial of a former Minister of State for Finance, Nenandi Usman, Fani-Kayode and others, charged with N4.6 billion fraud.

Nigerian Tribune recalls that Usman, Fani-Kayode is charged alongside one Yusuf Danjuma, a former Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), and a limited liability company, Jointrust Dimensions Nigeria Limited, on a 17 count charge bordering on money laundering by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

All offences were said to have contravened the provisions of sections 15 (3) (4), 16 (2) (b), and 16 (5) of the Money laundering (prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012.