The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) executive in Ogun State has called on the Inspector General of the Police to investigate the alleged bribery allegation against a Federal High Court judge in Ogun State.
This was contained in a letter dated June 4, 2020 and signed by the chairman and secretary of the party, Honourable Samson Kayode Bamgbose and Mr Adeleke Shittu respectively.
The two, in the letter entitled Call for Investigation Into Alleged $250,000 Bribery Allegation In Respect of Suit No: FHC/AB/CS/44/2020 –Bamgbose & ORS V PDP & ORS, said, “Our attention has been drawn to a petition written in respect of the suit by the Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Elder Yemi Akinwonmi, that we bribed Honourable Justice Abubakar Shittu with the sum of $250,000 to do our bidding in the suit pending before the honourable judge.”
The party chairman and secretary denied the allegation and called on the Inspector General to investigate the matter.
According to the duo, though they came across the petition on a social media platform, “As parties in the matter and those alleged to have ‘bought’ judgment, we are obliged to respond to the allegation even when it lacks merit and material fact.”
In the letter, which was copied to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, the PDP chiefs claimed that the allegation against the judge was as a result of his refusal to be compromised by those accusing him of taking bribe.
“It is clear that the Honourable Justice Shittu became a marked person since they could not compromise him in 2019. Hence, the resort to cheap blackmail, outright fabrications and lies,” they said.
While stressing the need for the Inspector General to institute a probe of the allegation, they said, “We believe that this is the way to go to serve as a test case and deterrence to those in the habit of making false and unsubstantiated allegations against law-abiding citizens and public officials, including members of the Nigeria Police Force because they believe that nothing will happen.”
