The report of the federal government’s purported appeal against the judgment of a High Court of Justice of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) sitting in Maitama District of Abuja, which discharged and acquitted the President of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), Innocent Bola-Audu, has been described as false and misleading.
Barrister Babatunde Adewusi, Counsel to Mr Bola-Audu, stated during a media briefing in Abuja that it is a ruse to deprive him of his legitimate office and leadership of the association.
It will be recalled that few months ago, the Court had cleared Mr Bola-Audu of the charges of human trafficking brought against him by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).
In the judgment, Justice Charles Agbaza, had held that the prosecutor failed to link the Bola-Audu and three other defendants with the human trafficking offence. Hence, they were all discharged and acquitted.
Speaking with journalists, Barrister Adewusi appealed to the media to exercise due diligence in verifying news before reporting, as this holds the potential to heat up the polity unnecessarily and expose them to both to criminal and civil liabilities.
