Alleged US Conviction: Court Asked to Compel DSS, IGP to Investigate Omo-Agege

A federal high court sitting in Abuja has been asked leave for an order of mandamus compelling the the Director- General of the State Services and the Inspector General of Police to investigate, arrest and prosecute Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, over his alleged conviction in the United States in November 1995.

The Incorporated Trustees of Empowerment for Unemployed Youths Initiative in a motion exparte filed before the court yesterday prayed the court to order Omo-Agege to step aside from office as Deputy Senate President pending the completion of his investigation.

According to the plaintiff in the suit though their lawyer, Edward Omaga, the Deputy Senate President should step aside to allow for transparent and fair investigation and also prevent interference.

The plaintiff prayed the court to declare that the refusal of the DSS DG and the IGP to investigate, arrest and prosecute Omo-Agege is unjustifiable, wrongful and tantamount to dereliction of duties by the defendants under the relevant laws that established them.

The plaintiff in the affidavit attached to the motion exparte said until the DG of DSS and the IGP are compelled by an order of the court, they will continue to refuse to investigate, arrest and prosecute Senator Omo-Agege, who is the 3rd defendant in the suit.

In the affidavit in support of the originating summons, deposed to, by Comrade Solomon Adodo, an Economic Rights Activist and Public Commentator, he said the plaintiff has been monitoring the activities of politicians and public office holders, particularly at the level of compliance with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria bothering on election and appointment into public offices.

The plaintiff said in the suit that it is convinced that any action or inaction of persons occupying elective and appointive position will have a direct on the overwhelming unemployed youths and continually cause them to be unproductive.

The plaintiff further said the refusal and failure of the defendants to inveatigate, arrest and prosecute Omo-Agege in connection with his conviction in the United States cast odium on the integrity of the National Assembly and out the image ofbtge country in bad light.

According to them, petition had been sent to the office of the DSS DG and IGP which they failed to act upon.

The plaintiff further alleged that in order to have a smooth sail in politics after his return to Nigeria, the Deputy Senate President removed ‘Augustine’ from his name and adopted his middle name ‘Ovie’ to avoid any sort of of linkage to his past in the USA.

According to the plaintiff, Omo-Agege was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1986 and after practising law for few years moved and moved to the United States of America in 1990 where he worked as a Foreign Associate in the law firm if Messr CharlsO. Omo-Agege and Co. in Los Angeles, California, USA.

No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.