Sir Mike Okiro, a former Inspector General of Police and an aspirant in the recently concluded Ohaneze Ndigbo election, has dismissed reports claiming a court order barred him from the election as a complete hoax.
Okiro, in a media briefing held in Port Harcourt, urged the media to be cautious about the information they share with the public.
The former IGP explained that on January 7, 2025, he was made aware of a media report stating that a court order issued by the Enugu High Court had prevented him from contesting for the position of President-General of Ohaneze Ndigbo.
Okiro said he was initially misled by the information and took legal steps to challenge it.
“I contacted my lawyer to obtain a copy of the supposed court order and work to have it vacated. By the evening of January 8, 2025, my lawyer had not succeeded due to time constraints. On January 9, I addressed the press and stepped aside in compliance with what I believed to be a valid court order,” Okiro recounted.
However, after further investigation, Okiro’s lawyer discovered that no such court order existed.
The legal proceedings related to the case, filed by Comrade Chimenu Amadi, were still in motion, with the court hearing scheduled for January 10, 2025.
Okiro revealed that the court had only granted leave for the motion to be heard and had not issued any orders to bar him from the election or screening process.
“There was no court order barring me from the election. The media reports were false, misleading, and deceitful. I followed the information because I respect the rule of law, but I missed the election as a result,” Okiro stated.
He also criticized the media for spreading false information and called on the police to investigate the matter under Section 125(A) of the Criminal Code for the circulation of false information.
He further urged the Nigerian Bar Association to take action against the lawyer involved in filing the misleading application.
“I urge Nigerians to be cautious about what they read and believe. The misinformation surrounding this issue has diminished the credibility of the judiciary and caused unnecessary confusion,” he added.
Despite the setback, Okiro congratulated Senator John Azuta-Mbata on his election as the new President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo and pledged his full support for the advancement of the Igbo community worldwide.
