Lawyer files appeal against IRDC, others

Mr. Peter lyhiokhai has filed an appeal in the Supreme Court against the ruling of the Court of Appeal, Benin City, which vacated an order of a high court in Warri restraining the Itsekiri Regional Development Council (IRDC) from assessing N2.1 billion community funds domiciled in a new generation bank.

The suit also seeks to restrain an oil major from having any financial dealing with the body pending the hearing of the matter.

In a statement yesterday, the legal practitioner said the alleged failure to judiciously manage the funds meant for the development of Itsekiri communities informed the suit.

His words: “The suit was instituted against IRDC, an oil company and the financial institution, in September 2017 by Chief Rita Lori-Ogbebor at the Warri High Court. The court restrained the leadership of the IRDC from collecting N2.1 billion belonging to Itsekiri oil-producing communities in Delta State.

“The court further restrained the oil firm from paying any money to IRDC. After the court order, we discovered that IRDC went ahead and signed another agreement with the oil multinational and consequently collected several millions of naira belonging to Itsekiri oil-producing communities.”

“It is a breach of court order that led to the institution of committal proceedings against oil firm and the leadership of IRDC. The contemnors swiftly filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal to stay the order of the high court. We have successfully appealed to the Supreme Court against the ruling of the Court of Appeal.”