Ogboru convicted of contempt, escapes jail

A Federal High Court,Lagos on Monday found the former Democratic Peoples Party’s governorship candidate in Delta State, Great Ogboru, guilty of contempt.

He reportedly violated an order of the court delivered on January 30, 2013.

Justice Okon Abang, however, said the court could not impose the necessary imprisonment punishment on Ogboru due to the plaintiff’s failure to comply with rules of contempt proceedings.

Ogboru and others flouted the order of court, which directed Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria to take over his properties in Lagosfollowing his alleged inability to pay N200m loan, granted them by EquatorialTrust Bank (now Sterling Bank Plc) to finance the importation of fish from Europe.

Abang said failure of the AMCON to ensure the service of Forms 48 and 49 on Ogboru had denied the court the power to impose the necessary punishment.

Forms 48 and 49 are Notice of  Disobedience of  Court  Order and Notice of Consequence of Disobedience of Court Order, respectively.

The judge, who described disobedience of court as an “endemic disease which has eaten deep into the fabric of Nigerian society”, said the situation required urgent diagnosis to proffer solution towards achieving a “national rebirth.”

Abang said, “I agree entirely with the plaintiff that the first and second defendants (Friogret Ltd and Ogboru respectively), violently broke into the properties located at 13A Ijora Causeway and Norman Williams Street Ikoyi, both in Lagos, which were under  receivership without permission of theReceiver Manager and when the inhibition or restraining order has not been discharged.

“Therefore the first and second defendants are in contempt of the order of this court. They are now to be addressed as contemnors. They have no respect for the order of this court as constituted by law.”