Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami may be facing contempt proceedings soon going by the claims of a businessman, Sotonye Jumbo, who has alleged that two years after a case involving his fishing vessel, was struck out by a Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, the vessel was yet to be released.

Sotonye Jumbo, a businessman based in Bonny, headquarters of Bonny Local Government Area, told Kristina Reports that he had lost millions of Naira in his business due to the illegal detention of his vessel.

According to a court document sighted by Kristina Reports, the case, which was filed on Monday, March 18, 2013, at the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt before Justice Bilikisu Aliyu, was struck on Monday, March 5, 2018, for lack of evidence and want of diligent prosecution.

Curiously, the vessel, FV Stenner and Elizabeth, which, according to Jumbo, was allegedly seized by the Nigerian Army (NA) and later handed over to the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), was yet to be released to him two years later.

In the certified true copy of the judgment, the Attorney General of the Federation was the plaintiff while Messrs. Sotonye Jumbo, Salamanu Abdulahi, Sunday Francis, Emeka Chikwendu, Danladi Danlami, Clever Oba, and the vessel, FV Stenner and Elizabeth were joined as defendants.  

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The judgment read thus: “It is hereby ordered as follows:

1) This having given the prosecution counsel a long adjournment in view of this case and even made order to file witnesses’ statement on oath as evidence in chief so we can fast track the trial of this case. All have been in vain.

2) That the prosecution counsel neither filed and served the witnesses statement on oath nor did he call the witnesses in court as scheduled.

3) That I cannot find any justification to adjourn this case further it is hereby struck out and the respondents discharged.”

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Findings by Kristina Reports indicate the NSCDC was in the process of moving the vessel to its dump at Ogbogoro in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area but due to leakages on it, the process has been delayed.

He appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to direct the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, and the Commandant General of NSCDC, Abdullahi Muhammadu, to comply with the order of the court and release his vessel to him.

“I am begging President Buhari to help tell the Attorney General and the Civil Defence boss to obey the court and release my boat so I can resume my business.”  

He equally called on Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike to come to his aid and facilitate the release of his vessel, lamenting that despite his efforts to support entrepreneurs in the State, his business has been hampered by the seizure of his vessel and illegal detention for over two years now.

“This matter was settled by the court since 2018, and you can imagine how much I have lost in terms of my business. This is not fair at all. The court has dismissed the case against me as you can see in the court paper. But why they are still detaining my boat is what I don’t understand.”