'Three days to my arrest, I was publicly threatened by John Oyegun for my criticism of the current administration' - Olisa Metuh

Sylvanus Tahir, counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC in the ongoing trial of Olisa Metuh, expressed concerns about the manner Metuh is going about his prosecution before Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court Abuja.

Metuh, a former Spokesperson for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is standing trial along with Destra Investment Limited for an alleged N400 million fraud involving the Office of the National Security Adviser.

Tahir’s concern followed what he termed Metuh's frivolities which he said has no bearing with the case in court. While in the dock, Metuh had told the Court that he had been publicly threatened by John Oyegun then Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

While being led in evidence by Onyechi Ikpeazu, SAN, his counsel, Metuh said: “Three days to my arrest, I was publicly threatened by John Oyegun for my criticism of the current administration.

Ali Ndume, then Majority Leader of the Senate issued a statement noting that the PDP was in a state of comatose, without Doctors or Pharmacists to revive the main opposition party PDP, but has only one 'nut' currently holding the party which is Olisa Metuh."

According to Metuh, the statement credited to Ndume served as “a signal to the government and its agencies that, they needed to remove that 'nut'”, thus making him a target. During his evidence-in-chief, Metuh further told the court that he never stopped criticizing the government on promises that were made to gain access to power in the past election. “I advised that they should stop celebrating imaginary achievements,” he said.

His counsel then applied to tender the July 15, 2015 edition of Vanguard newspaper, which was admitted in evidence by the Court and marked Exhibit B15.

Metuh also lamented that his bank accounts had been seized by the EFCC, and “all my investments at the ARM, the institution I have invested in for the past 14 o 15 years, have all been seized, including all my life savings"