Timeline: Metuh’s dramatic journey to prison

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday convicted former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) spokesman, Olisa Metuh for receiving N400m from former National Security Adviser, retired Col. Sambo Dasuki. Justice Okon Abang held that Metuh could not prove that the money was approved by former President Goodluck Jonathan for the 2015 general elections. This puts […]

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday convicted former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) spokesman, Olisa Metuh for receiving N400m from former National Security Adviser, retired Col. Sambo Dasuki.

Justice Okon Abang held that Metuh could not prove that the money was approved by former President Goodluck Jonathan for the 2015 general elections.

This puts an end to the long trial of the former PDP spokesman which started in 2016.

We have put together timeline of the four-year long prosecution.

Jan 5, 2016: The EFCC invited Metuh to its office for questioning for allegedly collecting N400 million from Sambo Dasuki, a former national security adviser.

Jan 15, 2016: A federal high court in Abuja remanded Metuh in Kuje Prison after he was arraigned alongside his company, Destra Investment LTD, on a 7-count charge of fraud.

Jan 19, 2016: Metuh was granted N400 million bail with two sureties who must deposit the sum of N200 million each.

Jan 26, 2016: The EFCC presented its first witness. Nneka Ararume, who narrated how Metuh allegedly gave her $2 million in cash to help him change into the naira equivalent and deposit into his company’s account.

Feb 4, 2016: Abba Dabo, the seventh prosecution witness, told the court that he deposited to the EFCC, the N25 million Metuh paid to him on December 16, 2014.

Feb 24, 2016: Metuh argued his no-case submission beacuse ex-President Goodluck Jonathan was not called as a witness.

Feb 26, 2016: An FCT High Court refused the evidence of the Economic and Financial Crimes (EFCC) against Metuh over alleged destruction of statements.

Justice Ishaq Bello ruled that the evidence, which is a pocket note book entry of an EFCC investigator, could only be tendered and admitted through a certified copy.

Earlier, EFCC counsel Sylvanus Tahir had sought to tender the pocket book entry of Sa’ad Junaid, the operative who investigated the case. But defence counsel Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN) requested the prosecution to produce the certified true copy of the note book as provided in the Evidence Act, which it could not.

Mar 9, 2016: Court dismissed Metuh’s suit challenging his detention by the EFCC. The court stated that the commission has powers to arrest and detain him.

Mar 17, 2016: The presiding judge in the corruption trial involving Metuh warned the defendant not to intimidate the court.

Justice Okon Abang of a Federal High Court in Abuja, who was reacting to a petition by Metuh’s counsel Emeka Etiaba (SAN) to the Chief Judge of the Court seeking to transfer the case on grounds that the Justice Abang refused to release the record of proceedings.

The judge observed that a copy of the letter was not sent to the prosecution counsel Sylvanus Tahir and said the action of the lawyer was unethical.

Also, Metuh asked Ibrahim Auta, chief judge of the federal high court, to withdraw his case from Okon Abang, the presiding judge and re-assign it to another judge, arguing that they were classmates at the Nigerian Law School.

Mar 24, 2016: Metuh filed two applications, one asking Abang to disqualify himself from further presiding over his trial and the second asking the court to adjourn to enable the court of appeal rule on his application for stay of proceedings in his trial. Metuh said he had a long-standing “frosty relationship” with Abang.

Mar 28, 2016: Abang denied knowing Olisa Metuh before the PDP spokesperson’s trial started in his court.

Apr 8, 2016: The Federal High Court in Abuja ordered Metuh to open his defence on Monday, April 11.

Justice Okon Abang also dismissed four applications brought by Metuh seeking to stop the trial and directed that he must present his witnesses unfailingly.

Metuh was on January 15 arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on allegations of receiving the sum of N400 million arms funds from the office of former National Security Adviser (NSA) Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd), through his company, Destra Investments Ltd in December 2014.

May 19, 2016: Metuh prayed the court for the release of his passport to enable him to travel to the United Kingdom for medical treatment.

May 24, 2016: Onyechi Ikpeazu, while explaining his client’s absence said the defendant was placed on bed rest at the national hospital, Abuja, and that his health had deteriorated.

May 25, 2016: The court of appeal in Abuja dismissed the former PDP spokesman’s appeal for a no-case submission.

May 25, 2016: The court refused to release Metuh’s passport.

May 26, 2016: Metuh’s family released a statement saying their son was ready to refund the N400 million he allegedly collected from the office of the former national security adviser.

May 27, 2016: Metuh’s counsel said his client wrote a letter to the EFCC offering to refund the N400 million allegedly received in November 2014.

Jun 10, 2016: Metuh was absent in court while his lawyer tendered a letter from Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) dated June 8, 2016, stating that he was under observation in the hospital.

Jun 30, 2016: Metuh, in a statement issued by his lawyer, said he was ready to refund the entire money “to show his support for the anti-corruption war as well as serve as a testament to his sincerity, integrity and honesty in this matter”.

Octo 17, 2016: Olugbumi Usim-Wilson filed an application to withdraw as a surety to Metuh. The ex-PDP spokesman then filed an application praying the court to allow him replace Usim-Wilson with Ike Ekweremadu, former deputy senate president.

Feb 23, 2017: Abang struck out Metuh’s application seeking to compel the detained former NSA to appear in court as a defence witness. The judge also dismissed the application seeking an order for the release of his passport to enable him to travel for medical treatment.

Oct 25, 2017: A Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the court bailiff to serve subpoena on former president, Goodluck Jonathan within five days to appear as witness in the trial of former PDP spokesman, Olisa Metuh.

Justice Okon Abang ruled that the court cannot blame the ex- president for being absent earlier, adding that the service of court processes is very important in any proceedings.

Oct 30, 2017: A former President, Goodluck Jonathan denied knowledge of anything in the seven counts charges against former Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olisa Metuh.

Jonathan, who told the court he had nothing to say as a witness before the court in respect of the case, however demanded that in the event his objection is refused, the court should order Metuh to deposit the sum of N1bn to cover the logistics of his appearance in court.

Nov 1, 2017: A former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki appeared in the trial of Metuh before a Federal High Court in Abuja.

However, Dasuki’s counsel, Ahmed Raji (SAN) opposed his testifying that day due to loss of memory following his two years of incarceration.

He said the evidence to be given, is only a small aspect of his tenure as NSA, adding that he does not have “access to relevant files, records and documents required to refresh his memory of any decisions or actions he took or authorised in the course of his duties.”

Jan 12, 2018: The supreme court dismissed an appeal filed by Metuh’s company, challenging the jurisdiction of the federal high court to hear the case.

Jan 22, 2018: Metuh was absent on the grounds of ill health. His counsel told the court that he had been admitted at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Hospital, Nnewi, Anambra state.

Jan 23, 2018: The EFCC asked a Federal High Court in Abuja to revoke the bail of Metuh over his absence from trial.

EFCC counsel, Sylanus Tahir said Metuh’s absence without a good reason is breach of the terms of his bail, adding that his earlier application to be allowed to produce 10 more witnesses, is a ploy to delay the trial.

Metuh was expected to appear for his trial after his lawyers earlier apologised for his absence, citing a medical report from the Nnamdi Azikiwe Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Anambra State signed by one Dr Ekwuogu O.C.

Jan 25, 2018: Court ordered Metuh to be in court on February 5, 2018, or risk going to prison. Abang also rejected a letter from the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, indicating that Metuh was on admission at the health facility.

On Feb 5, 2018: Metuh on a stretcher

Justice Okon Abang of an Abuja Federal High Court was forced to adjourn the trial of Metuh after he arrived the court on a stretcher.

Justice Abang had ordered Metuh to appear in court today or have his bail revoked and returned to prison custody, after he failed to turn up for his trial in January. But at the resumed hearing, Metuh was brought into the court on a stretcher with an ambulance from the National Hospital, Abuja.

Feb 6, 2018: The house of representatives urged the attorney general of the federation, Abubakar Malami, to allow Metuh to seek medical treatment abroad.

Feb 9, 2018: The supreme court dismissed the appeal of Metuh on no-case submission, ruling that he had a case to answer in respect of the money laundering charges.

Mar 4, 2018: Metuh filed another application seeking permission to be allowed to travel abroad for medical treatment.

May 21, 2018: Olisa Metuh “collapsed” as he made his way to the dock. His lawyer announced withdrawal from the case but the judge insisted that the trial would continue.

May 25, 2018: The court closed the defence “for want of diligent prosecution.”

June 10, 2018: Metuh filed another application before the court of appeal praying to withdraw his trial from Abang and to another judge.

Jul 2, 2018: Metuh asks court to re-open defence

Metuh, whose defence was closed for being absence in court, asked a Federal High Court in Abuja to re-open the case to enable him conclude his defence.
Defence counsel, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), told Justice Okon Abang to re-open the closed case to enable Metuh bring in his outstanding witnesses.

Justice Abang had in June closed Metuh’s case after his eleventh witness concluded his evidence, with no additional witness available.

Jul 3, 2018: The court reopened Metuh’s defence and also ordered for the arraignment of three Channels TV reporters for comments made on “Sunrise Daily”, a breakfast programme of the station, by one of Metuh’s lawyer, Ben Nwosu, in respect of the trial.

Oct 25, 2018: Metuh said he was threatened and eventually arrested after criticizing President Muhammadu Buhari as an ‘unrepentant tyrant’.

Metuh said this while giving evidence as the 15th defence witness in his trial alongside his company, Destra Investments Ltd, in a seven-count charge of receiving the sum of N400m arms funds from former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki in 2014 at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Nov 27, 2018: Metuh accused the EFCC of freezing all his bank accounts.

Jan 30, 2019: Again, court dismissed Metuh’s application to travel overseas for medical attention.

Mar 5, 2019: Onyechi Ikpeazu, Metuh’s lead counsel, submitted an application seeking withdrawal from the case stating “immense pressure”.

Mar 13, 2019: A new lawyer took over Metuh’s defence.

Oct 3, 2019: Metuh closed his defence

Nov 26, 2019: A Federal High Court in Abuja, has fixed February 25, 2020 for judgment in the trial of Metuh, on money laundering charge.

Upon the adoption of final written addresses, the trial judge, Justice Okon Abang fixed the date for judgment.

Feb 25, 2020: A Federal High Court in Abuja convicted Metuh for receiving N400m from former National Security Adviser, retired Col. Sambo Dasuki.

Justice Okon Abang on Tuesday held that Metuh could not prove that the money was approved by former President Goodluck Jonathan for the 2015 general elections.