Facts show Olisa Metuh and his trial judge were classmates

– Facts available to Naij.com show the spokesperson for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and a trial judge in his case were classmates

– However, the judge, in court on Thursday, March 17, denied knowing the defendant was in his class

– Metuh’s lawyer had petitioned the chief judge of the Federal High Court that the judge has not been fair in most of his ruling

The national publicity secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olisa Metuh

At the Federal High court on Thursday, March 17, the national publicity secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olisa Metuh accused the trial judge in his case of being partial.

Metuh in a petition through one of his counsels, Emeka Etiaba, raised issues including a fact that the trial judge was his classmate in law school.

But in his denial, Justice Okon Abang said he was not aware that first defendant who is facing trial for receiving N400 million from a former national security adviser Sambo Dasuki.

“I am not aware that the first defendant was my classmate, he said he is my classmate,” said Justice Abang had said on Thursday.

READ ALSO: Olisa Metuh shocks chief judge, writes petition

However, investigations and documents available to Naij.com has shown that Metuh and Justice Abang were truly classmates.

Metuh and Abang were at the Nigeria Law School, Lagos campus together.

The accused person and the trial judge in his case were both called to bar on November 3, 1988 alongside a former governor of Akwa Ibom state and Senate minority leader, Goodswill Akpabio, minister of power, works and housing, Babatunde Fashola among many others.

Also, details on the official website of the Federal High Court, Abuja shows that Justice Abang was at the Nigerian Law School, Victoria Island in Lagos from October 1987 to June 1988. He was later called to bar on November 3, 1988, the same day with Metuh.

See photo Metuh’s certificate and screenshots of Justice Abang’s profile from the website of the Federal High Court:

Olisa Metuh’s call to bar certificate

On the petition sent to the chief judge of the Federal High Court, Metuh’s lawyer stated that the defendant is confident he will not get a fair trial before Abang’s court.

READ ALSO: 16 things Olisa Metuh’s counsels have against Justice Okon Abang

Etiaba also accused the judge of granting his client stringent bail application on Tuesday, January 19 which the Metuh could not meet until a bail variation was approved by the same judge.

The lawyer also accused Abang of ordering an immediate day to day trial of the defendants deny his counsels adequate constitutional time required to prepare for his case as provided in Section 36(6) (b) of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

Etiaba said: “Throughout the conduct of the case of the prosecution, the honorable Justice Abang refused applications made by his (Metuh’s) counsel except where the prosecution states that it is not opposed to the application.

“The issue is not the fact of refusal or grant of applications made, but the insistence of his lordship that since the prosecution has opposed same, the court lacks discretion, the court has said and acted on this severally,” Etiaba added.

However, after all this allegations and many more, the trial judge, Abang insisted on continuing with Metuh’s trial.

He said a circular transmitted to him by his employer, the National Judiciary Council, states that where a petition seeking a transfer of a matter from a judge, the judge will continue with the case until a decision is taken by the chief judge.

“For this reason, I shall continue to preside over this matter until a decision is taken by the chief judge of this court,” Abang had said.

He also adjourned the matter to Wednesday, March 23, for the defence to open its case.

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