Atiku’s witness criticizes the US court for ordering Tinubu to forfeit $460,000.
Mike Enahoro-Eba, a star witness for Alhaji Abubakar Atiku, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the last presidential election, faulted the United States of America’s court on Friday evening at the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC), in which President Bola Tinubu reportedly forfeited $460, 000 dollars for alleged drug offences.
The witness, a 17-year lawyer, confirmed that the judgment copy was not registered in Nigeria as needed by law when delivered in order for it to be valid in the country.
He admitted that there was no proof in the judgment that Tinubu appeared in court to enter his plea, face trial, and be convicted, as required by criminal trial procedure.
During cross-examination, Enahoro-Eba, an Abuja-based activist, criticized the decision while addressing questions from Tinubu’s lead counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun.
“As a lawyer, I am aware that there are differences between criminal forfeiture and civil forfeiture,” he explained.
He asserted, however, that President Tinubu accepted forfeiting the money in a civil issue on his own.
The witness whose cross-examination nearly enraged the court stated that he was unaware of a letter issued to the Inspector General of Police by the US Consulate in Nigeria on February 4, 2003.
In response to another inquiry from Olanipekun, the witness denied knowledge of any arrest warrant issued by the American government against Tinubu.
He admitted filing direct criminal accusations of forgery against Tinubu in an Abuja Magistrate Court, but said the case was dismissed owing to a lack of jurisdiction.
In addition to criticizing the decision, the witness during cross-examination stated that he was unaware of a public announcement issued by the Registrar of Chicago University on June 27, 2022, stating that Tinubu attended the college and graduated with honors.
During cross-examination by All Progressives Congress (APC) lead counsel, Prince Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi, the witness testified to knowing Chicago University as a public university founded in 1863.
He stated that there was no certificate in the hands of any police officer connected to Tinubu’s forfeiture judgment of $460,000, and that there was no fingerprint or photograph of anyone on the judgement copy.
Immediately following the cross-examination, Atiku and the PDP’s main counsel, Chief Chris Uche, announced the end of the petition’s prosecution, having exhausted the number of days given to them by the Court.
The court’s presiding justice, Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani, has set July 3 as the deadline for Tinubu, the APC, and INEC to file their respective defenses in the lawsuit.
