Chidi Samuel
Justice Inyang Okoro, one of two supreme court judges arrested by the operatives of the Department of State Services between the weekend of October 7 and 8, says the Minister of Transportation, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, is responsible his ordeal.
The embattled supreme court judge in a four-page letter dated October 17, 2016 and addressed to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, claimed that the former Rivers State Governor and now minister of Transport instigated his travails because the Supreme Court ruled against the All Progressives Congress’ governorship candidates in Rivers, Abia and Akwa Ibom states.
“Mr Ameachi said All Progressive Congress mandated him to inform me that they must win their election appeals in respect of Rivers State, Akwa Ibom State and Abia State at all costs,” the letter alleged.
“For Akwa Ibom State, he alleged that he sponsored Mr Umana Umana, candidate of All Progressive Congress for the election, and if he lost Akwa Ibom appeal he would have lost a fortune.”
“Mr Ameachi also said that he had already visited you and that you had agreed to make me a member of the panel that would hear the appeals. He further told me that Mr Umana would be paying me millions of naira monthly if I cooperated with them.”
“I strongly believe that my travail is not undermined but with the verbal report I made to you on 7th February 2016, about the visit to my official residence by Honourable Rotimi Amaechi, former governor of Rivers state and now minister of transportation,” Okoro said.
However, the Transport Minister has denied the allegation. In a statement through his media aid, Amechi described the allegation as a figment of Justice Okoro’s imagination with a threat to also sue the embattled Judge.
“This accusation from Justice Okoro against Amaechi is a figment of his imagination, concocted to obfuscate and politicize the real issues for his arrest and DSS investigation of allegations of corruption against him,” he said in a statement issued by his media office.
“The claims by Justice Okoro against Amaechi are blatant lies, bereft of any iota of truth or even logic. Amaechi did not, and has never approached Justice Okoro in respect of the cases Okoro mentioned or any other case.
“This is a cheap attempt, albeit, political move to drag the name of Amaechi into something he knows nothing about. Justice Okoro should face his issues and leave Amaechi out of it. He will be hearing from our lawyers.”