Perjury: Salami knows fate March 21

JUSTICE Peter Affen of the Abuja High Court will, on March 21, determine whether the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke, would be compelled to prosecute the suspended president of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Isa Salami, over alleged perjury.The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Dahiru Musdapher, testified before a probe panel of the National Judicial Council (NJC) that Salami lied on oath in his claim that the former CJN, Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu, asked him to pervert the course of justice in the Sokoto State governorship appeal.He fixed the ruling date after taking a one-sided argument from Mr Segun Ilori, counsel for the former governor of Ekiti State, Chief Segun Oni, who brought the application for mandamus to compel the AGF to commence the prosecution or issue him with a fiat to so do.Adoke, the sole defendant in the suit, refused to enter an appearance in the matter, though he was duly served the court processes.A semblance of a counter to Oni's request came from Salami who brought a joinder application through his counsel, former Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Akinlolu Olujinmi, penultimate Thursday, which was to be heard on Thursday.Same was, however, struck out by the court during the proceedings on Thursday, when it was withdrawn by Olujinmi, who notified that his client did not want to be a party to the matter again.Olujinmi refused to give any reasons for the withdrawal, though it was gathered that it could be a prelude to the withdrawal of other suits initiated by Salami, to pave the way for the NJC to have a legal platform to discuss his reinstatement early May.In another development, a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Thursday, ruled to stay proceedings on a suit brought by Salami, challenging his suspension by the NJC, pending the determination of a constitutional issue tabled before the Court of Appeal by Salami, to determine whether or not the council was his employer.Olujinmi, on Salami's behalf, had asked Justice Donaltus Okorowo to stay action on the suit, for clarification to be sought from the Court of Appeal.
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