The Ohanaeze Youth Council has called on President Muhammadu Buhari and the Imo State governor, Hope Uzodinma to caution the state Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General of the state, Cyprian Akaolisa.
The youth council is asking the President and state governor to stop Akaolisa from meddling in a child trafficking case involving one Mrs. Chinyere Ohanyere and her suspected accomplice Ngozi Eboson.
Ohanyere and Eboson are currently being prosecuted at two courts in Owerri by the state police command on a case of alleged trafficking in children.
The youths alleged that the Commissioner for Justice was attempting to pervert the course of justice and ensure the release of the suspects.
Addressing journalists in Owerri, the state capital, President of OYC, Igboayaka O. Igboayaka, alleged that Akaolisa had gone to court twice to push for the release of the suspects.
Igboayaka said, “This is to bring to the knowledge of the President, His Excellency, Muhammadu Buhari, the National Assembly, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice and the Governor of Imo State, His Excellency, Senator Hope Uzodinma, the condemnable stance of the Attorney General of Imo state, Barr C.O.C. Akaolisa in a case of children trafficking which is currently undergoing process at the court.
“We found it unacceptable and shocking that the Attorney General of Imo state, Barr C.O.C. Akaolisa, was in court on November 17, and November 23, 2021, respectively, during court sittings, with suspected attempts to free the suspects and hand over the children to them.
“While commending the police for promptly arresting the duo of Ohanyere and Eboson and arraigning them in court, the youths urged them not to succumb to any pressure or threats, but should go ahead and make sure that the litigation is dispensed within the framework of the law.”
They also commended the police prosecution team which opposed the move and the judge who overruled the application.
The youth leader added, “While we have not declared anybody guilty as charged, we at Ohanaeze Youth Council are monitoring progress in the matter and wait on our respectable court of competent jurisdiction to deliver the verdict on the matter, we call on anybody who wants to impede on the wheel of justice in respect to this very sensitive matter to back off immediately because we will go to every length to expose the characters that want to subvert Justice.
“This is purely a case against the law, against humanity and should be thoroughly handed.”
Akaolisa, however, questioned the juridical powers of Ohanaeze youths to question his prosecutorial powers.
He said from all indications, it appeared that the youths were being used by some people to malign his integrity.
According to him, as the attorney general and commissioner for justice, he has the sole right under the law to determine who will be prosecuted by the state after looking at the circumstances of the case.
Akaolisa said that nobody had petitioned his office about the case in point and questioned the authority of the youths to address journalists on an issue that is well beyond their purview.
He said, “Who are the Ohanaeze youths to question that authority or right of the attorney general of the state to determine who will be prosecuted or not? I think that they are being used by some unscrupulous individuals. It is not in their right to ask questions about my right as the attorney general of Imo state to determine the direction of a case.
“In any case, before an attorney general wades into a case, he must have studied the case properly before giving adequate advice.”
