The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, has set free a former director-general of Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Patrick Akpobolokemi, after it upheld a no case submission by his counsel.
Hon. Justice Ayokunle Faji held that none of the witnesses called by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC that prosecuted him, led any evidence that linked Akpobolokemi to the offences he was charged with.
But the court held that the second defendant, Maj. Gen. Emmanuel Atewe, a formerc Commander of the Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta, and the third defendant, Mr. Kime Engonzu, a staff of NIMASA had a case to answer and must open their defence.
The defendants were charged in 2016 for conspiracy, conversion and stealing by fraudulent conversion. The defendants had all pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Counsel the former NIMASA DG, Mr. Collins Ogbonna, commended the court for the decision and praised the ruling as a victory for the rule of law.
However, there are two other charges against Akpobolokemi in two other courts before Justice Bukola Adebiyi of the Lagos High Court and Justice Faji.
Meanwhile, the former DG has threatened an online publication, the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR) alleging a defamatory publication against him.
According to Eric Omare, Akpobolokemi’s lawyer, the ICIR had on April 13, 2024 made defamatory publication titled, “The Hidden Truth That Led To Killing 17 Soldiers in Okuama Community.”
The DG’s lawyer gave the online publication seven days within which to withdraw the publication, apologise and publish the apologies in three national newspapers, including its website or be slammed a N100 billion libel suit.
Omare said the publication that said the former NIMASA Dg was involved in the deployment of soldiers to Okuama was false, malicious, inciting and unjustifiable.
He said the publication claimed that Akpobolokemi built a white house on a disputed land and worked with Government Ekemupolo alias Tompolo to influence the deployment of soldiers in Okuama.
In his letter to ICIR, Omare said Akpobolokemi was never involved in the deployment of soldiers to Okuama or anywhere else as alleged by the publication. “Our client is a private citizen and not a member of the armed forces with power to deploy soldiers or any personnel of the military or paramilitary at all.”
He said the publication exposed Akpobolokemi to ridicule and has made him be seen as being involved in the gruesome murder of the 17 military officers.
