Absence of lawyers stalls contempt proceedings against Amnesty boss

Failure of applicants’ and defendant’s lawyers to appear in court, yesterday, stalled contempt suit filed by some ex-agitators against Interim Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Col. Milland Dikio (rtd.).

No fewer than 147 ex-militants are seeking the enforcement of the court ruling to compel Dikio to pay the judgment debt in the suit filed by their counsel, Richard Turner over non-compliance of the Amnesty Office with the court’s verdict.

When the case was mentioned before Justice I.H. Ndahen, who inherited it from Justice Awogboro Abimbola, the plaintiff, defendant and their lawyers were absent from court, which made the judge to make no pronouncement.

The ex-militants had in Suit No. FHC/YNG/CS/70/2019 accused the Amnesty Office of diverting the slots and stipends of the 147 ex-militants in two camps of 75 and 72 members from 2011 to date.

Abimbola had on November 13, 2020, in a consent judgment, following agreed settlement terms between both parties, ruled that the diversion of slots and stipends were unlawful and ordered their reinstatement.

She had awarded a damage of N20 million for the 72 slots of Agbalagbabo camp and payment of 50 per cent of their total entitlements from April 2011 to September 2019, amounting to N238.68 million as final settlement.

She equally ruled that the Amnesty Office should pay a damage of N20 million to the 75 ex-militants of the Benuwolo camp and pay 50 per cent of their total entitlements from January 2011 to September 2019, amounting to N255.94 million as final settlement.