Court Strikes Out Corruption Suit Against Kachikwu

A suit seeking an order of mandamus to compel anti-corruption agencies to investigate and prosecute Minister of State Petroleum Resources Ibe Kachikwu for alleged declaration of assets infractions has been struck out.

Counsel to Kachikwu, Dr. Muiz Banire (SAN) and Paul Erokoro (SAN), had sought the dismissal of the suit but Justice Folashade Ogunbanjo of the Federal high Court, declined because of the absence of the motion seeking dismissal before the court.

The court had granted leave, permitting a civil society group, Kingdom Rights Foundation International (KHRFI), to commence a suit which centres on allegations of money laundering, operation of a foreign bank account, corruption and assets declaration irregularities against Kachikwu.

Justice Ogunbanjo made the order on October 10.

The plaintiff, KHRFI, through its ex parte application filed on August 23 sought the court’s leave to commence a suit seeking Kachikwu’s probe for the various allegations.

Kachikwu was sued alongside the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the Code of Conduct Bureau, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, President Muhammadu Buhari, and the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami (SAN).

The plaintiff, through his lawyer, Okere Nnamdi, asked the court, in the substantive suit, to conduct a judicial review of the administrative action/inaction of the defendants to perform their constitutional and statutory mandates and obligations in connection with the investigation and prosecution of Kachikwu and also sought leave to commence the suit on October 10.

But the suit was thrown out by the same court, thus vindicating Kachikwu, who had at various times insisted on compliance with the relevant law and rules in the declaration of his assets as against speculations flying around that his declaration was fraudulent.