JUST IN: Allegation I compromised judges false, malicious – SAN
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Damian Dodo, who was on Monday accused by the All Progressive Congress counsel, Echezona Etiaba, (SAN), at the Court of Appeal of being the channel to reach the appeal panel headed by Justice Danjuma Mohammed has denied the allegations against him.
Etiaba had during the hearing of the state and National Assembly elections appeal cases from Imo State, on Monday, presented two petitions allegedly written by his clients accusing the three-member panel of compromise.
In the letter, which was read by the presiding Justice, the APC accused Dodo, whom they alleged to be counsel for one of the appellants, of being the conduit to reach the panel headed by Justice Danjuma Mohammed, who is the presiding Judge of Makurdi Division of the Court of Appeal.
Other members of the panel were Justice Peter Affen from Yola Division and Justice Asmau’u Musa Mainoma, who is one of the newly appointed justices to the Court of Appeal.
However, Dodo was not counsel for either the Peoples Democratic Party or Labour Party at any time in any of the pre-election cases or the main tribunal in Imo State.
Dodo was also not counsel for any of the parties at the tribunal and even before the Court of Appeal.
Following the development, the Justices, after declaring their innocence, went a step further to recuse themselves from the appeals from Imo State.
The Justices stated that it was just before the court sitting that all of them were made to know who they were sitting with and which cases they were supposed to preside over.
Dodo, in a statement on Wednesday, stated, “I categorically deny all the allegations in the said petitions as being false, wicked, untrue, malicious, and calculated to embarrass the panel of Justices and myself.”
He called on Etiaba to issue and publish an apology in the media “for this most unfortunate event.”
The SAN, also stated that he had expected the petitioner to step out to substantiate the allegations in the investigation to be carried out or face the full consequences of “his malevolent, wicked, and inhuman attack against Their Lordships and myself.”
“Those who orchestrated this most horrific attack on the integrity of Their Lordships and myself will definitely face the wrath of Almighty God in this life and in the life hereafter.
“I am informed that the trauma of the attack on the reputation and integrity of Their Lordships was so horrendous that one of the Justices on the Panel broke down in tears. Very sad for the profession.
“It is indeed a big shame. Regrettably, Their Lordships are in no position to openly defend themselves against this pack of lies from the pit of hell, beyond comments made in Court. It is indeed very sad and most unfortunate.”