By Amos Odeh
A Federal High Court sitting in Yenagoa on Thursday summoned Prof Charles Dokubo, Head of Presidential Amnesty Office to personally appear before it following allegations of diversion of amnesty slots.
The court presided over by Justice Awogboro Abimbola, also ordered that Dokubo appears before her on October 4 with Mr Isaac Ityohuma, Director of Finance and Accounts in the Amnesty Office.
Also subpoenaed is Mr Aroloye Brown Head of Reintegatration in the Presidential Amnesty Office.
Some 75 ex-militants who accepted the Presidential Amnesty in 2010 has dragged Dokubo to court for allegedly diverting their slots and accrued stipends since 2011.
The militants, led by Mr Clinton Oroupade are demanding payment of outstanding N492,375,00 being accrued stipends for the 75 members of the camp from Jan 2011 to May 2019.
The ex-militants under the Benuwolo camp in the 2nd phase of the amnesty scheme brought the action before a Federal High Court in Yenagoa
At the inaugural hearing on Thursday, leader of the 75 Plaintiffs led by Oroupade told the trial Judge, Abimbola, that the group were documented and allocated 75 slots but recived no stipends afterwards.
He tendered several documents and agreements and affidavits from prior efforts by the Amnesty office to resolve the issue by reverting 10 of the 75 slots beofe the court.
The Amnesty Office defense team led by Mr Tamaratarei Ali-Bozi did not object to the documents tendered.
The ex-agitators urged the court to declare that the alleged fraudulent manipulation of the 75 slots allotted to Benuwolo camp by officials of the Amnesty Office in connivance with some ex-militants is unlawful.
The militants had in their statement of claims filed by their Counsel, Mr Richard Turner urged the court to order the Amnesty Office to revert the 75 slots of the camp and halt further diversion of slots by the office.
The judge adjourned the case to October 4 for continuation of hearing after taking evidences from Oroupade who served also as a Plaintiff’s witness.
