The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday gave the court
bailiff five days to serve former President Goodluck Jonathan with the subpoena
compelling him to
appear in court with respect to the trial of a former
National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Olisa Metuh.
The court also ordered the counsel prosecuting Metuh, Mr.
Sylvanus Tahir, to persuade the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to
explore administrative means of ensuring that the Department of State Service
produced the detained former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki, in
court on October 31.
Upon applications by Metuh, the court had issued two separate
subpoenas on Jonathan and Dasuki, compelling them to appear in court on
Wednesday.
But both men were, however, absent from court on Wednesday.
Justice Abang noted in his ruling on Wednesday that without
the two summoned witnesses appearing, the court might not be able to make any
progress in the case.
He also noted that while Dasuki had been served with the
court subpoena, Jonathan had yet to be served so could not be blamed for
failure to attend court on Wednesday.
But the judge noted that singular attempt by the court
bailiff to serve Jonathan personally with the witness summon at his home in
Abuja, was not sufficient.
He therefore directed the bailiff to take further steps to
ensure personal service on Jonathan within five days from Wednesday.
He said if after five days, the bailiff was unable to serve
Jonathan personally, Metuh, who was the one who applied for the subpoena,
should kick-start the process of serving the ex-President through substituted
means.
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