December 13, 2021

A United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania has subpoenaed President Muhammadu Buhari through the Office of Chief of Staff, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari in a case between Simbi Kesiye Wabote and US-based Nigerian-American journalist, Jackson Ude.

President Buhari was subpoenaed in his capacity as President and Minister of Petroleum.

Mr. Wabote (Plaintiff), the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development & Monitoring Board (NCDMB) had sued Mr. Ude (Defendant), an international award-winning journalist famed for investigative journalism in a US court for defamation of character.

According to Wabote, Mr. Ude through his online publication, Pointblanknews.com, had defamed his character vide a story in which it was inferred that he financially compromised his position and abused the privileges of his office as Executive Secretary of the NCDMB in the build up to the launch of Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) Train 7.

However, the case has taken a twist as attorney to Mr. Ude from Amadi Law Office at 204 Blossom Street Extension, Suite A. Lynn MA 01901, Barr. Beneth O. Amadi, in entering appearance for the journalist convinced the court to subpoena President Buhari to explain to the court why and if he granted Mr. Wabote waiver to operate foreign bank accounts described by the court as “any account operated outside the borders of Nigeria.”

One of the items for which the President was subpoenaed was to produce “any, every, and all the documents fully and specifically explaining why plaintiff, Simbi Wabote, is allowed by the Nigerian government to operate foreign bank accounts while the other public officials and public officers are prevented and/or forbidden from opening and/or operating foreign bank accounts.”

The court also extended subpoena dated December 7, 2021 to the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF.

Other persons subpoenaed include Mr. Isaac Yalah of NCDMB, Barr. Mohammed Umar, Director, Legal Services of NCDMB; Saipem Contracting Nigeria Limited; Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, and Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

According to Pennsylvania Record in its Court Activity of May 17, a Nigerian, Mr. Simbi Kesiye Wabote had brought a civil case against Mr. Jackson Ude.

“The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania reported the following activity in the suit brought by Simbi Kesiye Wabote against Jackson Ude on May 17: ‘Order That Counsel For Plaintiff[s] Must Serve This Order On Every Party To This Case Immediately After The Party’s First Appearance, Unless This Case Was Removed From State Court, In Which Case This Responsibility Falls On Counsel For The Party Who Removed The Case; Etc. As Herein. Signed By Honorable Joseph F. Leeson, Jr On 5/17/21.

“Case number 5:21-cv-02214-JFL was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on May 14,” the Record said.

Both parties had filed claims and counterclaims in the US court. The subpoenas, according to the defendant’s lawyer, were directed at key actors in the Nigeria’ oil and gas value chain and that their respective responses would help in resolving the case.