The Federal High Court sitting in ABUJA has on Wednesday 8th March 2023 dismissed a suit against the Minister of State for Petroleum, Mr. Timipre Sylva.
In a ruling delivered by Hon. Justice Emeka Nwite, the Court dismissed the suit following an application by the Plaintiff’s Counsel to withdraw same.
The said application met with the dissatisfaction of the Defendants’ Counsel including the Minister’s lawyer, Mr. John Ebokpo, who informed the court that the application to withdraw same was based upon the Plaintiff’s realization that the case was baseless, having been adequately defended by the Minister, hence he asked the Court to dismiss the case as against striking same out which the Plaintiff’s Counsel prayed the Court.
Further inquest into the nature of the matter revealed that the Plaintiff had disguised to be an advocacy non-profit and instituted the suit which to blackmail the serving Minister and alleged thereby that Minister ought to be suspended from office and prosecuted by the Department of Security Service, Inspector General of Police, Office of the Attorney General of the Federation, and other tiers of government for intentionally giving false evidence and forged academic credentials for all political positions held so far.
The Plaintiff further contended that it had investigated and found that the Minister had mismatched names on his academic credentials amongst other allegations.
In defending the suit, the Minister who deposed to his counter-affidavit in person, asserted that the Plaintiff’s suit was predicated on falsehood and constitutes an attempt to ridicule his person as his credentials are legitimate and the Minister went further to provide a deed poll and gazette publication which laid the issue regarding the name differences on some of his credentials to rest.
The IGP who also defended the suit maintained the position that the suit was baseless as the facts alleged by the Plaintiff were unfounded.
This further strengthens the position that the suit was filed with a mischievous motive to blackmail and ridicule the Minister.