Fejiro Oliver
The Network Against Corruption and Trafficking (NACAT) has faulted Sheriff Oborevwori, governor of Delta state, over the alleged plan to file a fresh charge against activist Fejiro Oliver.
On October 4, the Delta police command began the prosecution of Oliver for allegedly cyberstalking the governor.
NACAT said on October 16, the federal high court in Asaba granted Oliver bail, noting that his legal team is making arrangements to meet the bail conditions.
The organisation alleged that while arrangements for the bail were ongoing, the governor obtained a warrant to produce Oliver before Magistrate Court 3, Asaba, on Monday.
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In a statement on Monday, NACAT described the alleged plan to re-arraign Oliver at the magistrate’s court as “a clear abuse of court process and a violation of judicial integrity”.
“It amounts to forum shopping and stands against the established principles of superior courts, which strongly condemn the filing of parallel or duplicate charges intended to circumvent judicial orders,” NACAT said.
“By seeking to reopen the matter in a magistrate court after the federal high court has already exercised jurisdiction, the actors in this case risk bringing the judiciary into disrepute and eroding public confidence in the courts.
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“If they believe in their case, they should appear before the federal high court rather than engage in judicial window shopping.”
NACAT said it will petition the National Judicial Council (NJC), Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), and foreign embassies against any judicial officer or government official found complicit in the alleged abuse of court process.
The group urged the chief justice of Nigeria (CJN) and the chief judge of Delta state to ensure that no magistrates’ court is used to subvert or undermine the decision of a superior court.
The civil society group added that once the bail conditions are perfected, Oliver must be released immediately.
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The group noted that no lower court has the authority to override a subsisting bail order of the federal high court.
“The judiciary must not be turned into a marketplace for political gamesmanship. Justice must not only be done, it must be seen to be done,” NACAT said.
