Pandemonium at the Federal High Court in Abuja, yesterday, as a man who gave his name as Musa Inuah Dalhatu, climbed a telecom mast located within the court, saying he would commit suicide unless the Chief Judge invoked his powers and compels former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to pay him a N15 million debt.
He spent about three hours on the mast before he was persuaded to come down by security personnel and officials of the National Emergency Management Agency.
Inuah, a middle aged man, alleged that he had executed a project for the former Vice President while he was in power to the tune of N15m, saying efforts to recover the money had proved abortive.
Hanging precariously at the zenith of the mast which is equivalent of a 15-storey building, the protester said he would not come down until either Atiku was produced in court or the Inspector General of Police agrees to investigate the veracity of his allegation with a view to recovering his money.
He spent about three hours on the mast before he was persuaded to come down by security personnel and officials of the National Emergency Management Agency.
The middle-aged man, who was dressed in a cream kaftan, initially vowed not to come down until the Acting Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, or former Vice President Atiku Abubakar came to dialogue with him.
It was gathered that he visited a courtroom on the third floor of the FHC complex. He allegedly complained to the staff about the slow pace of his suit which was being heard by the court.
Court officials, however, explained that Walkatu’s case was not making any progress because he did not have a lawyer to handle the suit.
The court clerk equally urged Inuah to take the case before a High Court in Adamawa state, stressing that the High Court in Abuja was without the requisite jurisdiction to entertain the case.
Dissatisfied with the treatment meted out to him by the court officials, Inuah started creating a scene at the registry located at the 3rd floor of the court complex , an action that forced security men to order him out of the court premises.
Immediately he stepped outside the court, Inua quickly ran to the back of the building and climbed the telecom mast.
A source at the court said Inua had told a security man that accosted him when he was going to the back of the building that he was going to ease himself.
Armed with a copy of his protest letter entitled “I will not come down until the Federal Government and Nigerians come into this matter”, the man started shouting, thereby drawing attention.
Meanwhile, media aide to the former Vice President, Mr Garba Shehu, yesterday, dismissed Inua’s allegation, saying he is mentally deranged.
According to Shehu, “We honestly suspect that this man is mental, if there is one Nigerian who pays all his bills that one is Atiku Abubakar. If the idea of this pole climber is to get N2million from the Turaki, this certainly is not the best way to go about it.
“Were it left to me, I will say that the man should simply be ignored. He will climb down when he gets tired of staying up there.”
he is mad, says Atiku……….