Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Ameh Ejekwonyilo
Published on 2024-02-21 19:51:53
Lilian Onoh, a former Nigerian ambassador, has accused Geoffrey Onyeama for being mentally unstable during his tenure as the Minister of Foreign Affairs in former President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime. This accusation was made by Ms Onoh in a libel suit filed against her at the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja. She testified via zoom from her base in the United States of America and told the judge, Keziah Ogbonnaya, that she had warned Mr. Buhari not to hire Mr. Onyeama due to his “hereditary insanity” and the corrosive effects of the psychotropic medication he had been taking that caused him to always claim he was “not aware”, negatively impacting Nigeria’s international relations. She was led in her evidence-in-chief by Monday Ejeh, her lawyer, while opening her defense in the libel case on Tuesday. She stated that the State Security Service (SSS) must have “flagged” Mr. Onyeama’s suitability for the top job due to his long familiar history at the Enugu Psychiatric Hospital. However, she alleged that this was likely over-ridden by late Mallam Abba Kyari, former President Buhari’s chief of staff, who passed away in 2020 after contracting the coronavirus.
Delving further into the matter, Ms. Onoh accused Mr. Onyeama of being complicit in corruption while he was Minister of Foreign Affairs. She stressed that she had penned several letters to Mr. Buhari about the grand corruption taking place under Mr. Onyeama’s watch. She pointed to at least 20 letters listing the alleged rot in the system that she allegedly named Mr. Onyeama as being involved in. She continued to say that the former minister was not aware of the embezzlement of $2.8 million by Nigerian diplomats in Jamaica in the wake of the devastating 2010 earthquake. She also claimed that Mr. Onyeama thwarted investigations into the misappropriation of funds by Nigerian diplomats that were supposed to go to survivors of the Haiti earthquake.
Referring to the judge presiding over the case, Ms. Onoh questioned her impartiality by alleging bias in handling the matter and asking for her recusal. She explained that this request was based on the relationship between the judge and Mr. Onyeama, both of whom hail from Enugu State.
At the hearing, the defendant made it known that she had requested the dismissal of the case, based on Mr. Onyeama’s contention that a private WhatsApp message from her to him was defamatory, but the judge had refused to hear the request. She also accused Mr. Onyeama’s lawyer, Agada Elachi, of misconduct by serving court documents through their client. Ms. Onoh further argued on points of privilege and duty within the context of her service as an envoy and the fact that she was entitled to take her time to defend herself properly. At the hearing, Mr. Onyeama’s lawyers asked the judge to expedite adoption of Ms Onoh responses but she strenuously objected. The judge overruled Ms Onoh, deeming her responses adopted, even without her consent. Subsequently, the judge adjourned the hearing until Thursday for cross-examination.
Supporting PREMIUM TIMES’ journalism of integrity and credibility, Ms. Onoh has called into question the conduct of the judge hearing the libel case against her. She has cited evidence and raised objections on accusations of defamation filed against her by Mr. Onyeama. With allegations of corruption and mental instability, this case aims to uncover the truth and deliver justice.
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