A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has struck out the cyberstalking charge filed against the Chairman of Human and Environmental Development Agenda, (HEDA Resource Centre), Olanrewaju Suraju, by the Nigerian government for lack of evidence.
The presiding judge Justice Binta Nyanko struck out the case and discharged the defendant following an application by the government’s lawyer, Y. Eko to withdraw and discontinue with the charge preferred against the defendant.
At the resumed hearing of the case Eko told the court that she got an instruction from the Attorney General of Federation through the DPP’s office to withdraw the charge and send to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) for further review.
Recall that a former Minister of Justice, Bello Adoke one of the accused charged with fraud in the OPL245 scam also referred to as Malabu scandal had petitioned the police and accused Suraju of being behind the petitions resulting in his prosecution for corruption and money laundering. That they circulated fabricated evidence against him to unduly incriminate him in the multi-million dollar scandal.
Suraju who addressed journalists at the court said ” The Nigerian government has sued JP Morgan Chase Bank over the payment of $801million to Malabu from the account that belongs to Nigeria and because of that JP Morgan was actually the one that brought the email upon which Adoke claimed was forged.
” It was brought by JP Morgan Chase to court and the same thing with the tape. The Nigeria government has gone contrary to what they said here, in the UK court, to confirm that email was authentic and legitimate.
” So it was in that instance we challenged them that the evidence adduced in the UK court is same thing alleged to be forged in Nigeria.
” JP Morgan lawyer in London brought it up and questioned the credibility of Nigeria government and the attorney general for saying those documents are authentic because the same documents are actually used to prosecute myself in Nigeria.
” The UK based Nigeria lawyer said that the charges filed in Nigeria was at the compromise of DPP and Adoke and it was not the Nigeria government.
” He pleaded there on February 28th in London court that the charges will be withdrawn ”
Suraju was arraigned before the court on February 18, 2022 on two count charge bordering on cyberstalking, an offence contrary to Section 24 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, ETC) Act, 2015 and punishable under the same Section of the Act.
The charge read ” COUNT ONE
That you OLANREWAJU SURAJU, Male, of 20, Mojidi Street, Ikeja Lagos sometime in 2018, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did intentionally circulate an audio telephone interview alleged to have occurred between one Ms. Carlamaria Rumor a reporter with RIA in Italy and Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke SAN via your Twitter handle @HEDAagenda which you knew to be false for the purpose of causing insult to Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke SAN and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 24 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, ETC) Act, 2015 and punishable under the same Section of the Act.
COUNT TWO
That you OLANREWAJU SURAJU, Male, of 20, Mojidi Street, Ikeja Lagos sometime in 2018, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did intentionally circulate an audio telephone interview alleged to have occurred between one Ms Carlamaria Rumor a reporter with RIA Reporter in Italy and Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke SAN on your Facebook page with the handle @HEDAResourcecentre which you knew to be false for the purpose of causing insult to Mr. Mohammed Bello Adoke SAN and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 24 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, ETC) Act, 2015 and punishable under the same Section of the Act.
Adoke, one of those accused and charged with fraud in the OPL245 scam, also referred to as Malabu scandal, had petitioned the police and accused those behind the petitions resulting in his prosecution for corruption and money laundering that they circulated fabricated evidence against him to unduly incriminate him in the multi-million dollar scandal.
It would be recalled that the police could not find any proof of forgery in the evidence used to expose Adoke’s corruption but went ahead to charge HEDA Chairman for cyberstalking.
The Inspector-General of Police Monitoring Unit had in April 2021 detained at the Force headquarters Suraju for alleged sharing of media report on $1 billion Malabu oil deal.
JP Morgan Chase Bank had also released fresh documents which indicted Adoke and was admitted as evidence which included an electronic mail sent by him on June 21, 2011.
The bank released the documents to a United Kingdom court, the High Court of Justice, Business and Property Courts of England and Wales, after investigation was done by the Special Fraud Office, London, under Director Lisa Osofosky.
The documents confirm that contrary to Adoke’s claim of forgery against the NGOs and Italian prosecutors, the documents emanated from JP Morgan and UK court.
JP Morgan Chase Bank was accused by the Nigerian government to have sent $801 million to the bank account of Malabu in Nigeria without appropriate authorisation from Nigeria.
Adoke and six others are standing trial over alleged fraud in the oil deal.
