A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday, June 5, 2023, awarded a N10 million fine against Mr Festus Keyamo, the immediate-past Minister of State for Labour and Employment for filing a frivolous suit against Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate in the Feb. 25 election.
In a ruling, Justice James Omotosho, awarded a N5 million fine each in favour of Abubakar and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC) totalling a N10 million against Keyamo.
Justice Omotosho, who described the suit as “frivolous, vexatious and abuse of court processes,” directed that the fine should be paid “at 10 per cent per annum until the cost is finally liquidated.”
The order followed an oral application by counsel for Atiku, Benson Igbanoi, and that of the ICPC, Oluwakemi Odogun, asking for cost after the matter was dismissed.
According to NAN, Keyamo, who was also the spokesperson of the dissolved Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Council ( PCC), had filed the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/84/2023 on Jan. 20, 2023.
In the application, he had sought an order compelling the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission( EFCC), ICPC, and the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, to probe and prosecute Abubakar.
He asked the court to order the agencies to investigate and prosecute Atiku based on the claims contained in an affidavit deposed to by one Michael Achimugu, alleging that Atiku used a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to corruptly enrich himself while he was Vice President of Nigeria.
