IGP’s lawyer takes over prosecution in FG’s case against Senator Misau
The trial of Senator Isah Hamma Misau (APC, Bauchi) took a twist when a senior advocate of Nigeria, Dr Alex Izinyon informed the court that he had been given the fiat of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) to take over the matter as prosecution counsel. Daily Trust reports that Inspector General of Police (IGP), […]
The trial of Senator Isah Hamma Misau (APC, Bauchi) took a twist when a senior advocate of Nigeria, Dr Alex Izinyon informed the court that he had been given the fiat of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) to take over the matter as prosecution counsel.
Daily Trust reports that Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris appeared with Izinyon as his lawyer recently before Senate Adhoc Committee probing the allegations levelled against him by Senator Misau.
The FG on October 19, through the office of the AGF, arraigned Misau on a five-count charge bordering on injurious falsehood against the IGP, the Chairman, Police Service Commission, Sir Mike Okiro and the Nigeria Police Force on various allegations of corruption he made against the IGP in the media.
At the resumed hearing on Wednesday, Izinyon said upon taking instruction to take over the matter, he filed two applications before the court, one of them, he said is seeking the leave of the court to correct some of the five-count charge and add two others to it.
He said the second application sought the leave of the court to set aside the subpoena issued on the IGP to give Misau certain documents in his possession as well as to testify as his (Misau) witness.
In his response, Misau’s counsel, Joshua Musa (SAN) said the move by the prosecution to amend the charge was unnecessary as the charge in the first instance was irregular as it did not have the seal of the lawyer who filed.
While informing the court that the defence would file a preliminary objection, Musa submitted that until the original charge was regularize, it could not be amended.
However, the trial judge, Justice Ishaq Bello, who doubles as the Chief Judge of the FCT High Court, held that if the amendment was meant to correct the perceived error in the original charge, it should be allowed to be amended.
He, thereafter, adjourned the matter to December 5 to hear the applications as well as enable the defence reply.