‘Money laundering’: Keyamo seeks court order to serve Atiku process through substituted means

Festus Keyamo, the spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign council, has asked a federal high court in Abuja to allow him to serve Atiku Abubakar court processes through substituted means.

In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/84/2023, Keyamo is seeking to compel law enforcement agencies to prosecute Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Keyamo is praying the court for an order compelling the PDP candidate “to submit himself to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and the Conduct of Conduct Bureau (CCB) for thorough investigation”.

Keyamo’s suit is premised on an audio recording released by Michael Achimugu, Abubakar’s former aide.

In the audio, the former vice-president is alleged to have explained how shell organisations were set up to divert public funds.

TheCable has not confirmed the authenticity of the recording in question.

In an affidavit to support the application for substituted service, filed on Thursday, Seyi Bakare, a solicitor in the law firm of Festus Keyamo, said it would be difficult to serve court processes on Abubakar because his itinerary is difficult to predict.

“That the itinerary of the 1st defendant (Atiku) is unpredictable and it would be difficult to locate him for the purpose of personal service,” the affidavit reads.

“That the plaintiff does not know the residential address of the 1st defendant.

“That it will be difficult to serve the 1st defendant the court processes personally as the 1st defendant has a retinue of security personnel and aides who make it difficult to access the 1st defendant.”

Consequently, Keyamo sought an order “granting leave to the plaintiff/applicant to effect service of the originating summons and all subsequent processes in this suit on the 1st defendant by substituted means to wit: by serving same on any adult staff of the Atiku Abubakar campaign organisation located at Ademola Adetokunbo Crescent, Beside Access Bank, Wuse II, Abuja or by pasting same at a conspicuous part of the Atiku Abubakar campaign organisation office located at Ademola Adetokunbo Crescent, beside Access Bank, Wuse II, Abuja”.