…… Snatch Copies of Election Petition
By: Emmanuel Abi Couson
Unknown.gunmen on Monday evening ambushed the Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal Secretary, David Mike, while on his way to Court and snatched the SDP Election Petition .
NewsSpecng gathered that suspected armed thugs trailed the Tribunal Secretary from his house and blocked his vehicle with two other persons. They then whisked him away in their black coloured hilux vehicle.
The vehicle was not carrying any plate number
At the time of filing this report the whereabout of Mr David Mike , the Tribunal Secretary is unknown.
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Otumba Olumofin J.S.Okutepa confirmed the snatching of the SDP candidate in the November 11 Kogi Governorship Election Petition in a Statement made available to the media on 4 December titled “THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA SAVE THE SOULS OF JUDGES, LAWYERS AND WORKERS IN KOGI STATE ELECTION PETITION TRIBUBNAL. ”
The statement reads “Kogi State has become so lawless under Yahaya Bello as Governor. There is complete failure of governance in the State. The attacks against the Secretary of the Tribunal and subsequent snatching of the petition filed by the legal team of Murtala Yakubu and SDP by agents of darkness in Kogi State and by those working for those who rigged their ways into the office is not only unfortunate but it constitutes an attack against the judiciary.
It is a direct interference with judicial process. I hope the Nigerian government will view this unfortunate incident seriously and ensure that sanity is restored in Kogi State. There is political insanity in Kogi State. There is political miasma in kogi State. There is total disdain for judiciary and judicial institution by Kogi State and the agents of the state. ”
According to him ‘ It is sad. Given what is going on in Kogi State the lives of lawyers and judges handling this petition are not saved. Nigerian Government has a duty to do something and urgently too to avoid lawyers and judges being killed. The Federal Government of Nigeria must save the souls of all who have to handle these petitions.
“The Nigerian Bar Association must speak and act now. It is becoming too difficult to practice law in Nigeria. Those who rigged that election are desperate and they are doing everything to scuttle the hearing and determination of the petition. The judiciary must ensure that it takes judicial notice of the rascality going on in the state. There must be an end to this state sponsored attacks.
“Nigerians are watching the Federal Government of Nigeria. Kogi State must be monitored strictly to avoid further anarchy. People are being pushed to the wall. There is a limit to human endurance. Kogi must not be allowed to be on fire and further. ”
.
