Justice Bello Kawu of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High
Court sitting in Kubwa has granted the motion/application of all
#EndSARS celebrities represented by Deji Adeyanju, to dismiss the
criminal charge against them.
![image](/2020/10/lawreport.jpg")
The court on Tuesday granted an application to hear the
substantive motion to strike/dismiss the criminal charge filed by
Kenechukwu Okeke against the 50 celebrities at FCT, Wuse Zone 6
Magistrate Court.
![image](/2021/01/payne-alex.jpg")
The lead counsel representing all the celebrities, Ihensekhien
Samuel Jnr, urged the court that considering the incompetent,
frivolous, and opposing applications filed by Kenechukwu Okeke, the
court should discountenance Okeke’s application in its entirety, as
the same application is full of mere rhetoric, idioms and devoid of
legality.
The court in ruling on the applicant’s 1st application granted
the motion to regularise and bring in the #EndSARS celebrities’
substantive application to dismiss Okeke’s criminal charge.
The court also considered the frivolous application of Okeke to
dismiss the suit of #EndSARS celebrities and strike out the court
orders of stay of proceedings on Okeke’s criminal charge, delivered
by the court on January 13, 2021.
By the submissions of Samuel, counsel for the celebrities,
Okeke’s application is now vague and has become academic given the
court ruling today granting the applicants/#EndSARS celebrities
motion to regularise.
The court, after considering all submissions of the celebrities,
adjourned the matter to June 30, 2021, for ruling, as Okeke again
hurriedly left the court after the proceedings.
Okeke had filed the criminal suit against the activists for
their roles in the protests at Wuse Zone 6 Magistrates’ Court,
Abuja before a Chief Magistrate II, Omolola Tolulope Akindele.
The lawyer alleged that during the protest, his belongings were
destroyed and that the defendants who promoted the #EndSARS
protests must be brought to justice.
Those listed as defendants include Sam Adeyemi, senior pastor of
Daystar Christian Centre; Kanu Nwankwo, former Nigerian
international footballer; Innocent Idibia, Nigerian singer and
songwriter popularly known as 2face; Adeleke, Nigerian Afropop
singer, better known as Davido.
Others listed in the suit include Aisha Yesufu, Kiki Mordi,
Peter Okoye, Paul Okoye, Deji Adeyanju, Tiwa Savage, Folarin Falana
(Falz), Feyikemi Abudu, and Debo Adebayo.
The Nigerian Bar Association had earlier said that Okeke was
fake and not on the list of directory of lawyers in Nigeria.
Recall that the NBA reported Okeke via an official letter to the
Federal Capital Territory High Court, Kubwa.
At a recent hearing of the matter, the case was called up and
there were introductions from the celebrities, others, and
applicant, Deji Adeyanju’s lead counsel, Samuel Ihensekhien and
Okeke, who appeared as the first defendant, and as a counsel for
himself.
The NBA Abuja Capital Chairman, Chukwuemeka Clement, also
appeared in this case as amicus curea (a friend of the court).
At the commencement of the case, Samuel Ihensekhien informed the
court that given the avalanche of court process filed by all
parties in the case, there was a need for a clear date to be taken
by the honourable court to hear all pending applications.
This application by the applicant’s counsel was acceded to by
the court, and he further informed the court that by an official
letter filed by the NBA the chairman of Abuja capital that the
purported first defendant in the case, Okeke, who had been filing
different court processes all over Nigeria, was not a lawyer.
The NBA said Okeke was not called to the bar and the NBA would
further take legal and prosecutorial steps against Okeke in the
case.
Reacting to the above, the NBA Capital Bar Chairman,
Chukwuemeka, and a representative of the NBA aligned with the
applicant’s counsel’s submission and informed the court of an
official NBA letter evidencing all the submissions above and
further documentary evidence and authentication from the NBA
website that Okeke was not a lawyer.
Justice Bello Kawu of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High
Court sitting in Kubwa has granted the motion/application of all
#EndSARS celebrities represented by Deji Adeyanju, to dismiss the
criminal charge against them.
The court on Tuesday granted an application to hear the
substantive motion to strike/dismiss the criminal charge filed by
Kenechukwu Okeke against the 50 celebrities at FCT, Wuse Zone 6
Magistrate Court.
The lead counsel representing all the celebrities, Ihensekhien
Samuel Jnr, urged the court that considering the incompetent,
frivolous, and opposing applications filed by Kenechukwu Okeke, the
court should discountenance Okeke’s application in its entirety, as
the same application is full of mere rhetoric, idioms and devoid of
legality.
The court in ruling on the applicant’s 1st application granted
the motion to regularise and bring in the #EndSARS celebrities’
substantive application to dismiss Okeke’s criminal charge.
The court also considered the frivolous application of Okeke to
dismiss the suit of #EndSARS celebrities and strike out the court
orders of stay of proceedings on Okeke’s criminal charge, delivered
by the court on January 13, 2021.
By the submissions of Samuel, counsel for the celebrities,
Okeke’s application is now vague and has become academic given the
court ruling today granting the applicants/#EndSARS celebrities
motion to regularise.
The court, after considering all submissions of the celebrities,
adjourned the matter to June 30, 2021, for ruling, as Okeke again
hurriedly left the court after the proceedings.
Okeke had filed the criminal suit against the activists for
their roles in the protests at Wuse Zone 6 Magistrates’ Court,
Abuja before a Chief Magistrate II, Omolola Tolulope Akindele.
The lawyer alleged that during the protest, his belongings were
destroyed and that the defendants who promoted the #EndSARS
protests must be brought to justice.
Those listed as defendants include Sam Adeyemi, senior pastor of
Daystar Christian Centre; Kanu Nwankwo, former Nigerian
international footballer; Innocent Idibia, Nigerian singer and
songwriter popularly known as 2face; Adeleke, Nigerian Afropop
singer, better known as Davido.
Others listed in the suit include Aisha Yesufu, Kiki Mordi,
Peter Okoye, Paul Okoye, Deji Adeyanju, Tiwa Savage, Folarin Falana
(Falz), Feyikemi Abudu, and Debo Adebayo.
The Nigerian Bar Association had earlier said that Okeke was
fake and not on the list of directory of lawyers in Nigeria.
Recall that the NBA reported Okeke via an official letter to the
Federal Capital Territory High Court, Kubwa.
At a recent hearing of the matter, the case was called up and
there were introductions from the celebrities, others, and
applicant, Deji Adeyanju’s lead counsel, Samuel Ihensekhien and
Okeke, who appeared as the first defendant, and as a counsel for
himself.
The NBA Abuja Capital Chairman, Chukwuemeka Clement, also
appeared in this case as amicus curea (a friend of the court).
At the commencement of the case, Samuel Ihensekhien informed the
court that given the avalanche of court process filed by all
parties in the case, there was a need for a clear date to be taken
by the honourable court to hear all pending applications.
This application by the applicant’s counsel was acceded to by
the court, and he further informed the court that by an official
letter filed by the NBA the chairman of Abuja capital that the
purported first defendant in the case, Okeke, who had been filing
different court processes all over Nigeria, was not a lawyer.
The NBA said Okeke was not called to the bar and the NBA would
further take legal and prosecutorial steps against Okeke in the
case.
Reacting to the above, the NBA Capital Bar Chairman,
Chukwuemeka, and a representative of the NBA aligned with the
applicant’s counsel’s submission and informed the court of an
official NBA letter evidencing all the submissions above and
further documentary evidence and authentication from the NBA
website that Okeke was not a lawyer.