The judge gave the order for the probe of the lawyer after he announced himself as the prosecutor in the NYSC certificate scandal charge against Stella Oduah.
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday ordered the arrest and investigation of a lawyer, Ibrahim Mohammed, for filing a criminal charge against a former Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah, in the name of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) while serving in the Nigerian Police Force.
The judge, James Omotosho, gave the order shortly after Mr Mohammed announced appearance for the Nigerian police in the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/275/2023 filed against Ms Oduah.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that when the matter was called, Ms Oduah, who was the sole defendant in the case, and her lawyer, were not in court.
The drama, however, occurred when Mr Omotosho asked Mr Mohammed if the defendant had been served.
The prosecuting lawyer told the court that the investigating police officer (IPO) in the case informed him that Mr Oduah, who represented Anambra North Senatorial District in the 9th National Assembly, "could not be served because when she was called on phone, she said she was indisposed."
The judge then asked who signed the charge which the lawyer was holding and which office he was representing.
Mr Mohammed responded that he was seconded to the EFCC but redeployed to the police in November last year.
He added that he resumed at the legal department, Police Headquarters in January.
Mr Omotosho, who inquired further, asked why he (lawyer) signed the charge on 22 June when he was no longer in the anti-graft agency as far back as November 2022.
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The lawyer said he mistakenly put the EFCC in Benin as his office while preparing the charge.
NAN observed that the charge had the lawyer's address as the Legal and Prosecuting Department of the EFCC at No 1, Court Road, GRA, Benin City.
Responding, Mr Omotosho said: "Will a reasonable man believe you? You will go to EFCC and explain this. I will call for an investigation of the counsel."
The judge then ordered Mr Mohammed to be handed over to the anti-corruption agency for a thorough investigation.
"In view of the fact that Ibrahim Mohammed signed this charge on 22 June, and having admitted that he left EFCC in November 2022, this court makes an order for EFCC to investigate and report back to the court. Counsel shall report to EFCC immediately," he declared.
NAN reports that the head of the police at the Federal High Court in Abuja, Titus Okuba, led Mr Mohammed out of the courtroom.
NAN had, on Monday, reported that the EFCC was expected to arraign Ms Oduah before Mr Omotosho today (Tuesday) on allegations of perjury and document falsification.
The former lawmaker is accused of misrepresenting facts about whether or not she participated in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and was issued a certificate to that effect.
She was alleged to have falsified documents with which she got into public offices, including being a minister and a senator in the fresh charge.
(NAN)
