A Benue-based lawyer, Okpale Ojikpa, has been arraigned before a magistrates’ court in Lafia, Nasarawa State, for using a fake court judgement to freeze the accounts of the Nasarawa State Government.
Counsel to the state government, Egye Usman Aliyu, said the offence was contrary to Sections 161 and 164 of the Penal Code which carried a jail term of seven years.
He said the action of Ojikpa which led to the garnishee order against the accounts of the state government had delayed payment of salaries and put lives and property of the citizens at risk.
He claimed that the situation had increased insecurity and near total collapse of public institutions, including schools and health facilities in the state.
He accused Ojikpa of obtaining three different injunctions from three different courts of concurrent jurisdiction to garnish the account of the state government by hiding the facts of the case.
He said, “The judgement Mr Ojikpa alleged was a continued case, it has been determined at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.”
Before adjourning the case to January 16, Magistrate Emmanuel Jatau granted Ojikpa N1m bail and one surety.
