Benin-based legal practitioner, Douglas Ogbankwa Esq., has called for his case file to be returned to the police, alleging he will not get a fair trial from the Edo State Director of Public Prosecution (DPP).
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Ogbankwa claims the charges against him are politically motivated, accusing the state government of prematurely leaking the charge sheet to a local publication, Midwest Herald, even before serving it on him.
“Orobosa Omo-Ojo doing business as Midwest Herald already has a counterpart copy of the charge which is only meant for the court’s file and the DPP’s file,” Ogbankwa stated.
He expressed shock that the charge sheet bearing the original signature of an official from the Ministry of Justice found its way to the publication a day after being filed, despite him not being served.
“This is first of its kind in Nigeria,” the lawyer added.
Ogbankwa alleges the DPP himself commented about having “convicted” him on a WhatsApp group, suggesting inherent bias that would prevent a fair prosecution.
He claims the state government has lined up 8 witnesses against him, including one Sandra Palmer Agho, whose relationship is from his official capacity as a lawyer.
However, Ogbankwa says he does not know the other proposed witnesses, accusing the police of bringing “fake witnesses” he has never encountered.
“Edo State Government has set a new record in Prosecution in Nigeria,” he stated.
The lawyer has now called on the DPP to “do the honorable thing” by handing over the case file to the police and recusing his office from the matter which he insists is politically motivated.
Ogbankwa vowed that justice would prevail despite the alleged antics to undermine the trial.
Efforts to get official reaction from the Edo State Government were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.
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