There are strong indications that Aso Rock may have yielded to pressure to investigate the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Chief Michael Aondoakaa (SAN), over the way he handled the legal contract of the Tiv massacre saga.
National Daily's investigation revealed that after series of petitions from various quarters against the AGF, State Security Service (SSS) operatives were given the nod to discreetly investigate the roles played by the country's Chief Law Officer.
For example, we learnt that the operatives allegedly indicted the AGF in the way he handled the case of N41.8billion awarded to a controversial activist, Dr. Alexander Gaadi, and 13 others, by a Federal High Court sitting in Enugu, on behalf of the Tiv Ethnic Nationality over the 2001 massacre in Tiv land by men of the Nigerian Army.
The Court had awarded the sum in a ruling on July 5, 2007, to the appellants as compensation for damages over the massacre, in the case that lasted for about 7 years.
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But sources said the investigators learnt that the AGF had shortly after assuming office, decided to appeal the judgment. He therefore sacked the government's lawyers handling the matter and allegedly contracted it out to private legal practitioners, most of who were drawn from his personal chambers in Gboko, Benue State. It was also alleged that after giving the juicy case to the lawyers from his chambers, he committed several millions of naira into the matter.
This was said to have shocked most Tivs, who were expecting that as a Tiv, the AGF would quickly facilitate the payment of the money as a way of assuaging the anguish of the people over the sordid experience.
It would be recalled that the Senate recently rebuked the AGF over what it called “huge judgment debts” owed by Nigeria, directing him to ensure immediate payment of the money, and warning against delay in payment of monies arising from court judgments, stating clearly that such debts are supposed to be priority debts.
When contacted over his stand on the N41.8billion, Gaadi described the action of Aondoakaa as despicable.
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According to him, the minister only used the opportunity of his appointment into the Justice Ministry to work against the collective interest of the Tiv nation.
He accused the AGF of contracting the matter to his Chambers after sacking government's competent legal luminaries.
Gaadi said if the administration of President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua wants to be taken serious on its chant of the principles of “Rule of Law” and “Due Process,” it has to wade into the Tiv massacre saga.
He described as absurd the decision of the AGF to appeal against the High Court judgment in the face of recent admittance of guilt and tendering of unreserved apology to the Tiv nation by the Army at a recent visit of Benue State by President Yar'Adua.
In his own reaction, Ocha Ulegede, counsel to Gaadi in the matter, who the AGF had accused of trying to blackmail him in collaboration with his client, stated that the AGF was only trying to divert from the issue.
According to Ulegede, “if he (AGF) is having problems with people, he should not try to link me. I have no hand in whatever problems he is having”.
One of the victims of the ejection saga, Mr. Albert Owolabi, who is claiming that in addition to being owed an outstanding N110, 000 from a rent he paid for the apartment from where he was ejected, there were documented computer wares valued at about N5.5million which he claimed were carted away by the ejection team.
But when contacted, the Special Assistant to the Minister on Media Affairs, Mr. Onov Tyuulugh, who stoutly defended Aondoakaa, attributed the sacking of the government's lawyers to efforts at ensuring effective representation of the government in the matter.
Tyuulugh said that Damian Dodo (SAN) is part of a new team of lawyers engaged for the case.
He said that the government has appealed against the High Court ruling and decided to engage a more effective team that would not abandon the matter like their predecessors.
Handing down a threat in an interview with National Daily, Gaadi, declared that he already has the support of both the United States of America (USA) and Israel to declare the sovereignty for his people, if the federal government refuses to pay them, pointing out that he has been the one foot-dragging over the matter.
Gaadi, known to be having a frosty relation with the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Michael Aondoaaka, declared, “I am the President of Benue Development Movement. I have a total population of 2.8 million members. And if the FG fails to look at the plight of my people, I can declare my own state. I have the power to declare a state. The mission of the Nigerian Army is to defend the territory of Nigeria, not to kill Nigerians. But where an Army is doing that, I can form my own Army.
“I am giving the Federal Government 60 days to settle my people. If they fail to do it within the time, I will form my own Army.
The Tiv leader further asserted, “If they fail to comply within 60 days from February 17, I think the matter will turn up a chain of events that no body can tell the end of.”
The activist, who is also a business mogul said, “We have to go further over this matter. And going further means that I am taking the Federal Government to the International Court of Justice, where justice will prevail. I have secured a Garnishee Order from the Court. And this Garnishee Order has two phases. Phase I is the Normal Order where you attach a property. And I attached the Account of the Central Bank of Nigeria. Phase II is making it absolute; that is making sure that it must be paid. So, I have the key of the CBN with me now. And I can embarrass the Federal Government anytime,” he said.
Gaadi who said that destructions took place in Ukum, Logo, Katsina Ala, Kwande and Guma Local Government areas accused the AGF, Aondoaaka of sabotaging efforts at compensating the victims of the massacre.
According to him, “to Aondoakaa, nothing happened to the Tiv people. You can quote me, he said it. And he opted to go on appeal. But the question there is; what is the rationale for appeal if the soldiers who did the act tendered an open apology to the Tiv people in the presence of President Yar'adua,” he asked.
That apart, National Daily gathered that the operatives are having a dossier on alleged recent property acquisitions of the AGF.
Within a space of three months, the AGF was alleged to have forcefully ejected tenants in four different buildings he acquired recently.
Controversy allegedly dogged the purchase of one in Gboko, Benue State, where some members of the family selling the house objected to its purchase by the AGF.
But on the eventual purchase of the property by the minister, some thugs and policemen were said to have recently gone and thrown away the belongings of the people in the house.
We further gathered that three similar instances were recorded in Abuja and Makurdi, the Benue State capital.
In one of the cases, people the AGF regarded as illegal occupants were thrown out from the house he allegedly bought at the Games Village Abuja, during the sale of government's properties by the last administration.
The other two ejections were said to have taken place at High Level and old G.R.A in Makurdi.
National Daily gathered that the ejections were carried out by a team of eight men, including a young man, who identified himself as the AGF's son, three men who dressed like security operatives, two uniformed police men and two other men.
Petitions allegedly written by some of the affected persons in the cases were said to have instigated the investigations currently being carried on the matters.
National Daily gathered that the minister may soon be invited to answer questions relating to some of the matters.
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