GEOFFREY Onyeama, a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, has wrapped up his legal action against Lilian Onoh, a former Nigerian ambassador to Jamaica and Namibia, concerning accusations of defamation.
Onyeama concluded the case following a cross-examination on Friday before Justice Keziah Ogbonnaya of a Federal Capital Territory High Court at Zuba in Abuja, related to allegations of financial mismanagement at Nigerian embassies in Jamaica and Namibia.
The ex-minister, who served during the Muhammadu Buhari administration, had taken Onoh to court after she accused him of tolerating significant corruption at Nigerian foreign missions.
Onyeama claimed that Onoh, who was his sister-in-law, financially supported newspaper articles critical of him on corruption issues during his tenure as the foreign minister.
Onoh had expressed concern about the alleged mismanagement of $2.8 million out of the $5 million donations by the Red Cross in Nigeria following the 2010 Haiti earthquake, by Nigerian diplomats in Jamaica.
The Nigerian mission in Jamaica was responsible for utilizing the $5 million donations for humanitarian aid after the earthquake in the Caribbean country.
Prior to her appointment as Nigeria’s High Commissioner to Namibia, she alleged that about $600,000 was embezzled by officials, including underreporting VAT remittances to the Namibian government.
During the cross-examination by Onoh’s lawyer, Monday Ejeh, regarding whether he investigated the fraudulent financial transactions reported by his client, Onyeama stated that he took action on every complaint received.
“I took action by referring such issues to the permanent secretary of the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs and directed an investigation to be carried out,” Onyeama said.
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