WE ARE IN COURT CHALLENGING THE SUSPENSION, IMPEACHMENT OF THE CHAIRMAN. COUNSEL TOLD PROBE COMMITTEE ON AMINU LADAN.

WE ARE IN COURT CHALLENGING THE SUSPENSION, IMPEACHMENT OF THE CHAIRMAN. COUNSEL TOLD PROBE COMMITTEE ON AMINU LADAN.

BY UTHMAN BABA-SIRAJDEEN, MINNA

The Counsel to the embattled Chairman of Chanchaga local government Council in Niger State Hon. Aminu Yakubu Ladan Barrister Anthony Orinfumishe has informed the Justice Mikhail Abdullahi Investigative committee that he has filed a suit before a High court challenging any action against the chairman.

He equally told the Investigative Committee that a Minna High Court number four has ruled on the suit restraining the legislative council of Chanchaga local government from suspending and impeaching his client pending the final determination of the suit.

Barrister Orinfumishe also told Justice Mikhail that the interlocutory injunction order of the High court also restrain the committee from taken any Unpleasant actions against the suspended Chairman.

Barrister Anthony Orinfumishe spoke while appearing in defense of the suspended Chairman at the Investigative Committee inaugural hearing at the IBBUL Guest house in Minna explained that the interlocutory order equally applied to the sitting of the committee.

” My Lord. I want to bring to the notice of the committee that we are in court challenging the proceedings of the committee. We have earlier gotten a High court order restraining the legislative council from the suspension and impeachment of the chairman.

” Also my lord. We are still in Suleja High court on the same suit that is still pending and the order of the Minna High Court has not been vacated” he told the committee.

The lead counsel to the committee, Barrister Nuraini Baba Usman, told the committee to discountenance the submission of the defense counsel to the suspended Chairman on the ground that the suit has been transferred to Suleja High ” and the case will commence afresh (denovo).

” With the transfer of the case to Suleja High court the earlier order granted Can’t no longer stand also the order has nothing to do with this committee.

” My lord, I prayed the committee to in totality discountenance the submission of the defense counsel. It has no basis with this committee” the lead counsel submitted.

In his ruling ,the Chairman of the Committee, Justice Mikhail Abdullahi told the defense counsel that the committee has not received any order stopping the committee from going on with the investigation.

” Like I said, this Committee is a fact finding committee. As a fact finding committee, we are not here to prosecute anybody.

” I have not received any court order stopping the sitting of the committee. If there is any order stopping the continuation of the investigating committee I will stop the sitting. So long I have not received any court order the committee will go on.” he stated.

Meanwhile ten witnesses have so far testified against the suspended Chairman at the ongoing investigative committee probing the allegations of misappropriation of the Chanchaga local government funds.