The member representing Ajaokuta Federal Constituency of Kogi state, Lawal Idirisu has described as “pure blackmail” and “malicious” publication on a fresh certificate forgery suit against him.
Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Aloysius Adeiza, who contested for the seat, had on the 6th February, 2020, filed a fresh suit at the FCT High Court, Abuja, challenging the lawmaker’s education qualification.
The suit is challenging the National Diploma Certificate issued to Idirisu by the Yaba College of Technology, Lagos.
Reacting to the publication on the suit, Hon. Idrisu through his Counsel, Tawada Adams Esq, told newsmen that it was the 7th time the case of alleged certificate forgery was being filed, adding that all previous judgments on the matter had been in his favour.
He said that several courts of competent jurisdiction including the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court had ruled in his favour on the matter.
He, therefore, wondered how new reports in an online medium published on February 20, noted that a fresh suit, which would be the 7th, had been filed on the same matter.
He said the publication was intended to mislead the Nigeria Police and the general public.
He said the media publication was politically motivated, stressing that having been decided at different courts of law, the fresh suit was tantamount to abuse of court process.
“The said online publication is purely politically motivated as the issue of the alleged forgery against Hon. Lawal Muhammadu Idirisu has since been settled by superior courts of the land.
“Therefore, consider the said publication as a pure blackmail coming from people whom have tried through the courts without success and have now resorted to cheap blackmail, despite the clear position of the courts on this issue,” he said.
He, therefore, enjoined the general public to disregard the latest publication on the fresh suit, as it is “highly subjudice”.
“We therefore contend that any other criminal allegation instituted on same facts of forgery against Hon. Lawal Muhammadu Idirisu amounts to an abuse of court process, in which the complainant, Hon. Aloysius Okino Adeiza has been stopped from raising similar complaints.
“We consider the said publication as unfounded, malicious and highly subjudice, since the issue of a pending criminal charge against Hon. Lawal Muhammadu Idirisu is being challenged in court at the moment in suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/200/2020”, the statement further added.
It would be recalled that, Adeiza of the PDP, had in 2015, challenged the qualification of Idirisu to contest the House of Representatives election, but lost the suit at both the Tribunal sitting in Lokoja and the appellate court.
The Supreme Court of Nigeria had also dismissed the allegation of certificate forgery against Idirisu.
