Lawyers seek court’s permission to withdraw from Metuh’s trial

Lawyers to Olisa Metuh, former spokesman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) have applied to a Federal High Court in Abuja for permission to withdraw their participation in Metuh’s ongoing trial for alleged fraud and money laundering related offences.

The lawyers numbering 12, including two Senior Advocates of Nigeria – Onyechi Ikpeazu and Emeka Etiaba – gave reasons, in a fresh motion, why they want to be excused from the case.

The lawyers, who urged the court to allow them to withdraw from the trial in the interest of justice, claimed to be under “immense pressure” over their continued appearance in the case, and that there have been threats to their lives.

They said, in the motion: “The counsel representing the 1st defendant have been going through immense pressure, with respect to their appearance in this case, including severe threat to their lives and will be unable to contain the 1st defendant.”

In the motion, predicated on Section 349(7) and (8) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, ACJA, 2015, the lawyers, who were absent when the case earlier came up on Monday, said they will be occupied with election petition cases and would be unable to attend the day-to-day trial ordered by the court.

Ikpeazu, in a supporting affidavit, said he received crank calls by persons that threatened to kill him because of the way he “mishandled” the case.

Ikpeazu added: “I have received numerous threats to my life from diverse sources through telephone calls with disguised numbers, giving an ultimatum and threatening to kill me based on the manner they claimed I had been mishandling the case.”

He added that Etiaba also informed him that he had received similar threats and thus will no longer proceed with the representation of the 1st defendant.”

He said: “in the circumstance, it is impossible to avail the 1st defendant the legal representation he deserves in this case.”

The lawyers urged the court grant the motion to enable them to withdraw from case in view of the day-to-day hearing ordered by the court, a schedule, which they said, was difficult for them to meet, “having regard to diaries of their respective offices.”

Proceedings in the case was stalled on Monday in view of the lawyers’ absence, following which the court adjourned to Tuesday.

On Tuesday, Justice Okon Abang asked Metuh (who sat in the dock) how he intended to proceed in view of the motion by his lawyers, who also stayed away from court.

Metuh said he met with his lawyers on Monday evening and that they said they were traumatized by experiences they have had in the hands of the Federal Government since the trial started.

The ex-spokesman for the PDP prayed the court to grant an adjournment to enable his lawyers argue their fresh motion in which they prayed to be excused from the case.

Justice Abang subsequently adjourned till March 13.

Metuh is being tried with his firm, Destra Investment Ltd, for allegedly receiving N400million from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) preparatory to the 2015 presidential election, without executing any contract.

Metuh is also accused of engaging in cash transaction to the tune of $2million without going through any financial institution.

The prosecution has since closed its case after calling about eight witnesses, with Metuh currently testifying as a defence witness.