The Defendant maintained that the prosecution was led by a special litigation counsel and assisted by a state counsel Legenju Vitalis, who to all intents and purposes was a state counsel at the Attorney General’s Chamber. The Defendant claims that the Plaintiff was accorded a free and fair treatment during the trial and the whole proceedings were witnessed by the press officials of both the American and Nigerian Embassies without protest. In the estimation of the Defendant, the Plaintiff was accorded all his rights as a litigant and that even his appeals were given speedy and fair attention devoid of any deprivation of access to his Counsel while in prison. On the Plaintiff’s allegation about the trial judge not possessing the requisite qualifications, the Defendant maintained that the trial judge was employed upon meeting the requirements for employment. The Defendant stated that the Plaintiff’s case at the Supreme Court succeeded in part to which they annexed copies of the said judgment. Furthermore, the Defendant affirmed that the Plaintiff was granted remission of sentence as part of a general exercise of the Presidential powers of prerogative of mercy to over three hundred (300) prisoners as published in the Official Government Gazette No. 21, vol 132. In conclusion, the Defendant reiterates that the Plaintiff’s rights were never denied at any point during the trial nor after his conviction and thus he is not entitled to any restoration of rights as none have been violated in the first place. THE PLAINTIFF’S REPLY TO THE DEFENDANT’S STATEMENT OF DEFENCE On the 31st of May 2018, the Plaintiff filed its response to the Defendant’s defence. 8