Tunde Oyesina 
The Federal High Court, Abuja, has fixed October 14 for the re-arraignment of ex-National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olisa Metuh, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged N400 million fraud. His re-arraignment was fixed for Tuesday but was shifted because Justice Obiora Egwuatu was absent from court. New Telegraph recalls that the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, on December 16, 2020 nullified the judgement by the Federal High Court convicting and sentencing Metuh to seven years in prison for money laundering. In a unanimous decision, a three-man panel of Justices of the appellate court held that Justice Okon Abang February 25, 2020’s judgment on Metuh’s case was tainted with bias.
The appellate court held that Justice Abang had by the disparaging remarks he made in the judgement, betrayed his premeditated mindset against the defendant (Metuh) whom he accused of writing various petitions against him. According to Justice Stephen Adah, who delivered the lead verdict, allowing Justice Abang’s ruling to stand “will set a dangerous precedent”.
Consequently, the court voided the conviction and sentence that was handed to Metuh and his firm, Destra Investment Limited, and remitted the case file to the High Court for a re-trial by another judge. The EFCC in 2016 ar-raigned Metuh on seven counts bordering on the receipt of N400 million from ex-National Security Adviser (NSA) Sambo Dasuki before the 2015 presidential election without contract approval or execution.
