A star witness and governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), in the March 18th governorship election in Delta State, Olorogun Barr. Kenneth Gbagi, has told the Delta State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Asaba, the Delta State capital that he visited Sheriff in prison when he was Chairman of the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria.
The Criminologist, reiterated his stand on Saturday July 8th 2023, during a session of cross examination by the counsels to the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Respondents.
Asked on the personal particulars of the 3rd Respondent submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in 2015, Gbagi said: “My noble Lords, this is very laughable. Sheriff grew up in my arms.
“I confirmed to this honourable tribunal that I have known Sheriff for several years with different names, different dates, different ages too.
“I know for facts and documentarily too and one that is sworn to by oath that the 3rd Respondent has declared several ages.
“And in addition to that, as the chairman of the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria, I visited the 3rd Respondent in prison and I was the one that signed with a different age for him to go for medicals.
“And just an addition my lords, may it please its Lordships, Sheriff and his mother, were my tenants”, insisting that he (Gbagi) knows his in and out
Asked to tell the tribunal the age of the 3rd Respondent, Gbagi said: “he is asking me to open a can of worm.
“This Respondent will pass as a younger neighbour’s child that grew in my arms and he’s got age of 1963, he’s got age of 1978. He’s got over four to seven ages. I know as a fact different ages as declared by this Respondent”.
Asked whether he has any document to any law enforcement agent on allegations of crimes and corruption committed by the 3rd Respondent, Gbagi hinted: “I will like to expatiate on this.
“First and foremost giving my responsibility in this country, as having touched virtually 80 to 90 percent of everybody, I know Delta State pays no less up to half a billion to keep the EFCC, the ICPC, from prosecution and they report there every month.
“I have records of the State as to every penny and where they have gone to and if we are referring to electoral corruption, the facts are notoriously before us that we have been corrupted and if you want, we will make further proofs.
“We know as a facts in this state of corrupt practices and inducement of our electoral processes”.
Asked to confirm what was on paragraph 27 of his witness statement on an Appeal at the Court of Appeal Asaba, that judgement has since being delivered on the 5th of May 2023, Gbagi said: “at the time that document was filed, that was the position at that date and time”, he said.
Chairman of the three-man Justices, Justice H.C. Ahuchaogu, then adjourned the hearing till 19th and 20th of July for the Defendants to open their defences.
Meanwhile, Gbagi had said that a former governor of the state, Chief James Onanefe Ibori, had confirmed to him that “it was during his time that Sheriff, went to prison”.