A Federal High Court sitting in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, on Thursday summoned the Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Office, Prof. Charles Dokubo, to personally appear before it over 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. Equally subpoenaed is Mr. Aroloye Brown, Head of Reintegration in the Amnesty Office.

Some 75 ex-militants who accepted the presidential amnesty in 2010 had dragged Prof. Dokubo to court for allegedly diverting their slots and accruable stipends since 2011.

The militants, led by Mr. Clinton Oroupade, are demanding payment of outstanding N492,375 being accrued stipends for the 75 members of the camp from January 2011 to May 2019.

At the inaugural hearing on Thursday, leader of the 75 Plaintiffs led by Oroupade told the trial judge that the group were documented and allocated 75 slots but received no stipends afterwards.

Oroupade 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 before the court.

The Amnesty Office defence 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 – to which they belong – by officials of the Amnesty Office in connivance with some ex-militants is unlawful.

They 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 evidence from Oroupade, who also served as a witness for the plaintiff.

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