Court Finds Obasanjo Guilty Of Contempt Over Book Launch; To Rule On Punishment In 21 Days

An Abuja High Court has found former President Olusegun Obasanjo guilty of contempt, after the former leader defied the court’s directive barring him from releasing his autobiography.

Mr. Obasanjo released the new book, My Watch, Tuesday, in Lagos, days after the court order.

The court had ordered that the book launch be put on hold over claim the three-volume series contained details of a libel case already before the court.

The case involves a drug trafficking allegation made by Mr. Obasanjo against Buruji Kasahmu, a leader of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the southwest.

Mr. Kashamu had requested the court order to stop the release of the book, citing the case.

But the move is believed to have been a cover to block Mr. Obasanjo from making public some of his most scathing assessments of President Goodluck Jonathan, as contained in the book.

Mr. Kasahmu is an ally of President Jonathan.

On Tuesday, the former president defied the court order and proceeded with the book launch saying the judge acted in error and deserved to be sanctioned. The former president also said the book had already been published before the court gave its order.

Justice Valentine Ashi, in a ruling Wednesday, gave Mr. Obasanjo 21 days to demonstrate why he should not be punished for going ahead to publish the book.

The court also ordered the Inspector General of Police, the Director General of the State Security Service (SSS) and the Comptroller of Customs to recover all the books all book stands, sales agents, vendors, the sea and airports and deposit them with the court’s registrar pending the determination of the case.