An Abuja based activist, Njoku Ifeanyichukwu, has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to join the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) as a defendant in his suit seeking to compel the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) and the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) to produce the academic records of a Director with the FCDA, Odom Anurika Anita, to clear some discrepancies.
The activist wants the court to invoke the provisions of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act to compel the university and the FCDA to supply him with the academic record of the director for scrutiny to ascertain genuineness.
However, following the claims of the FCDA that the director is not its employee, he opted to join the FCTA to enable him get remedy.
The activist in his suit marked FHC/ABJ/CD/929/2024, wants the court to issue order for the University of Port Harcourt and the FCDA to produce the academic records of the director.
The suit has the FCDA, University of Port Harcourt and Odom Anurika Anita as 1st to 3rd defendants, respectively.
At the resumed hearing of the matter on Wednesday, the plaintiff, through his counsel, Abiodun Olusanya, told the trial judge, Justice Binta Nyako that he had filed an application on April 29, 2025, seeking to join FCTA in the suit.
Olusanya however asked the court for a short adjournment to enable him respond to the objections raised against the application by the Director, Odom Anurika Anita.
Odom Anurika Anita, in her objections contained in a counter affidavit filed through her lawyer, Martin Agba, informed the court that she is not a staff of the FCTA as claimed by the plaintiff and that the case was instituted to intimidate her for supporting her step-niece, who was molested by one Mr Chukwuemeka Emmanuel Uyaelumuo.
According to her, “The case of molestation was reported to the National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), which promptly launched an investigation into the matter.
“The case assumed national prominence when it was regularly featured and discussed on TVC and the popular Berekete Family (Human Rights) FM Radio, Abuja over a period of time.”;
She added that the rape suspect decided to launch attacks against her by instigating the Nigeria Police and other security agencies to embarrass her by raising patently false and malicious petitions against her in a desperate bid to intimidate and distract her family members from their fight for justice for the young victim.
“In furtherance of his sinister objective, the rape suspect procured the applicant on record who is using phoney names like Excellent International School etc issued petitions to my alma mater, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria Police and other security agencies over some patently false allegations of criminal conspiracy, job racketeering, forgery, cheating and use of forged university degree certificates to secure jobs,”; she averred.
Justice Nyako adjourned the matter till June 16 for hearing of the application to join FCTA in the case.
The plaintiff, in his suit, also asked the court to mandate the FCDA to produce the academic records, graduation certificate and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate upon which the said director was employed into its establishment.
In the suit filed by Abiodun Olusanya on behalf of the plaintiff, it was averred that the academic records of the director are needed to clear some discrepancies in her records of service at the FCDA.
At the last hearing in the matter, the University of Port Harcourt, represented by Jude Ezenwata, moved a motion on notice for regularization of its counter affidavit against the suit to be filed out of time and to be deemed properly filed.
In a brief ruling on the motion, Justice Nyako granted the request of the university, permitting the counter affidavit to be filed out of time and deeming same as properly filed.
