Nigerian Concord Newspaper
The Department of State Security, DSS has been petitioned to urgently investigate those behind a fake, fictitious and misleading petition which the Guardians of Democracy and Rule of Law recently sent to the House of Representatives, and led to the illegal summons of the Governors of Benue and Zamfara States before the Speaker of the Green Chamber, Dr. Tajudeen Abass removed the chairman of the Committee.
The petitioner, Freelance Journalists Federation, FJF, in its worded petition which was sent to the DSS and the Nigerian Bar Association some days ago urged the security agency to prosecute those behind the group for criminal conspiracy and impersonation.
It would be recalled that sometimes in March, 2025, a group of persons who are not lawyers under an unregistered group called Guardians of Democracy and Rule of Law authored and signed a petition as lawyers when they are not and referred the petition to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abass.
“After receiving the petition which was addressed to him, the Speaker referred it to the House Committee on Public Petition for a review, and without verifying the authentication of the Petition issued summons through Petition No. 638 of 2025 to the Governors of Benue and Zamfara States as well as the Speakers and Leaderships of both States House of Assemblies dated 30th April, 2025 for Thursday, 8th March, 2025” the FJF said in its petition to the DSS and the NBA.
The petitioners in the petition through the chambers of Sorkaa and Associates, signed by the Principal Partner, Tsembelee Daniel Sorkaa Esq, Solicitors to FJF, urged DSS to investigate and prosecute those involved with the group for criminal conspiracy false impersonation and cheating under section 96, 97, 181, 323 and 326 of the Penal Code Act
The petitioners gave the identities of those to be arrested and prosecuted as Barr. Onwudiwe Emmanuel Onwudiwe, E.J. Agada, Esq., Barr. Real Asuoquo, Barr. Joseph Akpereshi, E.S. Johnson, Esq., Barr. Stephen Tephen Terese, Barr. Egonu Ugochukwu, Onumah Joseph Esq., Barr. Kelechi Emmanuel, Barr. Machunga Godsen, Barr. Jobril Ibrahim.
Others are; Salish Bature, Esq., Barr. Hope Tolutope, John S. Olorunfemi, Esq., Barr. Abubakar Izudeen, Barr. Umar Abdullahi, Ibitayo Tolulope, Esq., Barr. Msughter Vershima, Ortserger Kumashe, Esq., and Barr. Messiah Okpariabe.
Meanwhile, the petitioners specifically mentioned one Samuel Ihensekhien, Esq., who was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2012 with SCN079106 who represented Guardians of Democracy and Rule of Law at the House Committee on Public Petition to produce the actual people who are not lawyers but authored the petition as legal representatives.
The petition reads in parts: “We, there demand their arrest, investigation prosecution for criminally involving in acts of impersonation and cheating under the cover of a non-existent group.
“The affidavit deposed by our client further revealed that on Thursday, 8th May, 2025, Samuel Ihensekhien, Esq., represented the Petitioners at the House Committee on Public Petition without the fictitious faceless, non-existent individuals parading to be lawyers who authored the Petition and signed the petition as mentioned above.
“Furthermore, the brief of our clients shows that Guardians of Democracy and Rule of Law at No. 38, Maman Nasir, Asokoro, Abuja, with email address as Guardaiansofdemocracy@yahoo.com and phone contact of 08123849726 are all fictitious and a false representation of what is actually not available. This is in the public domain and can be verified by anybody
“We hereby demand on behalf of our clients, the invitation of Samuel Ihensekhien, Esq., having become the face of the horde, to produce the persons who are behind the fictitious Petition to the Speaker, House of Representatives, under Sections 96, 97, 181, 323 and 326 of the Penal Code Act of the Federal Republic of Nigeria upon receipt of our legal correspondence”