The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh to pay N20, 000 each to of the six respondents in a fundamental rights enforcement suit he filed against the federal government.
It would be recalled that Metuh, who is facing a seven-count charge of money laundering, had last month filed the suit to challenge the grounds of his arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
But when the suit was to be heard on Thursday, Justice Okon Abang was “surprised” that neither Metuh nor his lawyer showed up and wondered why the plaintiff did not notify the court of his absence.
Counsel to the Attorney-General of the Federation, AGF, Tijani Kasali asked the court to strike out the suit because the applicant had abandoned it.
“I urge your lordship to strike out the suit for want of diligent prosecution,” he said, arguing that the absence of Metuh and his counsel in court meant that they were not willing to continue the case.
In his ruling, the judge threw out the case instituted by Metuh and ordered him to pay N20, 000 each to six agents of the federal government.
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