The Director General of the Department of State Security (DSS), Lawal
Daura and the Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Abubakar Malami ,
(SAN), have intensified moves to intimidate the Chief Justice of Nigeria,
Justice Walter Onnoghen, to award victory to Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, in a
case of submission of false information and fake tax documents before the
Supreme Court.
A panel of the Supreme Court headed by Justice Olabode Rhodes Vivour had
fixed April 13, 2018, to deliver judgment on the matter.
Sources told Pointblanknews.com that Ikpeazu and Lawal have arranged that
the Attorney General, Malami, will speak to Justice Onnoghen on phone to
introduce the Abia State governorship case and try to deceive the CJN
about President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressive Congress, APCs
interest to deliver judgment in Ikpeazus favour.
“If the CJN doesnt sound convinced about Buharis interest in the matter,
Malami will give the phone to Lawal to persuade Justice Onnoghen to accept
that the President wants victory to be awarded to Ikpeazu,” a source
knowledgeable about the moves told pointblanknews.com.
According to the source who would want to remain anonymous because of the
sensitivity of the case, the details of the plot include that If Justice
Onnoghen gets deceived by the lies that Buhari has directed the Supreme
Court to deliver judgment in favour of Ikpeazu, the CJN will be made to
persuade the Justices of the apex Court handling the matter to award
victory to the governor.
The source hint that a whooping sum of N500 million has allegedly been
paid to Lawal and Malami to ensure that they deceive Justice Onnoghen on
Buharis interest in the matter, but the CJN has refused to play ball.
Pointblanknews.com learnt that the new moves followed Justice Onnoghens
refusal to meet with anybody or agree to any commitment in relation to the
Abia State governorship tussle. The CJN has reportedly rejected overtures
from Ikpeazus legal consultant, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) and warned
the Senior Advocate to stop disturbing him over the governorship case.
Not yet done, the DSS boss is allegedly said to be working to get the
President Buhari to travel out of Nigeria on another medical trip before
the judgment fixed for April 13, to enable him room to have the Supreme
Court Justices at his beck and call.
According to sources, Lawal fears that if Buhari is in the country, his
plots and influences aimed at blackmailing and intimidating Onnoghen and
other Justices of the Supreme Court may be checked.
The Justices have refused to be intimidated and insists on serving justice
on the pre election suit. This is said to be giving Ikpeazu and Lawal
sleepless nights.
In the absence of President Buhari, Lawal who co-opted the Attorney
General into the deal, will drop Buharis name that he had directed them
to discreetly meet with Justice Onnoghen to inform him that the President
wants judgment to be delivered in Ikpeazus favour, not matter what the
law says.
Desperate to help the embattled Abia Governor get a favourable ruling from
the Supreme Court, Lawal has continued to use his office to seek how to
help Ikpeazu escape justice. Lawal, got a property worth over N500 million
from Ikpeazu in Asokoro, Abuja.