'Let him defend himself' Ohanaeze states position over Ekweremadu property forfeiture

The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has described as hasty and condemned the ruling by Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court ordering that Senator Ike Ekweremadu should forfeit 40 landed properties allegedly belonging to him.

DAILY POST reports that the order given on Friday by a Federal Court, Abuja, came at a time the former Deputy Senate President is still being held in the United Kingdom over charges bordering on alleged organ harvesting.

The apex Igbo socio-political said it stands on a moral probity to state that a hasty ex parte motion filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on the lawmaker, who is currently undergoing some travails in the United Kingdom.

Ohanaeze believes that the judgment falls short of ethical standards and natural justice.

“We maintain that Sen. Ike Ekweremadu should be given the opportunity to defend himself on his properties; and if found wanting should surely face the consequences,” the organisation said in a statement signed by Dr. Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia, its National Publicity Secretary.

The group further said it was aware that there are several allegations of corruption cases pending in the anti-graft agency but the urgency and selective judgement in the case of the Enugu-born lawmaker is not only curious but indeed true to type.

It therefore, calls on all the Nigerian legal luminaries of goodwill to intervene against gradual steps towards totalitarianism.