No fewer than 14 witnesses have been lined up to testify for the prosecution in the corruption trial of Justice Adeniyi Ademola and two others.
Among the witnesses are a former Director, Pension Accounts Office, the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Sani Shaibu Teidi, who stood trial before Justice Ademola at the Federal High Court, Abuja in 2013, Executive Secretary of the National Judicial Council (NJC) and the Chief Registrar of the Fed High.
They are listed among the 14 witnesses that the prosecution plans to call in the trial slated to begin on January 16 before Justice Jude Okeke of the High Court, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Maitama, Abuja.
Teidi’s wife, Fatimah, one of his associates, Prince Faboro and five officials of GT Bank and Zenith Bank plc are also listed as prosecution witnesses in court documents sighted by our correspondent in Abuja yesterday.
According to the documents, Teidi, his wife and Faboro are expected to give evidence in support of the charge against Justice Ademola that he (the judge) allegedly attempted to obtain N25m gratification from Teidi while he (Teidi) was being tried by the judge in 2013.
Teidi, now being tried by another judge of the Federal High Court, Abuja for his alleged involvement in a pension scam, had raised similar allegation against Justice Ademola in a petition written by his wife to the NJC.
Justice Ademola’s alleged attempt to obtain N25m gratification from Teidi forms a count in the amended 16-count charge on which the judge, his wife, Olabowale and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Joe Odey Agi, were arraigned yesterday before Justice Okeke.
The judge and his wife were earlier arraigned on an 11-count charge on December 13, 2016. Yesterday’s arraignment was necessitated by the prosecution’s decisions to amend the charge to include Agi and raise the counts to 16.
In the new charge, which is essentially the same as the earlier one, Agi is accused of bribing a public officer (the judge) with N30m. Justice Ademola allegedly accepted a BWM car worth N8.5m from Agi, using his son, Ademide Ademola.
A new charge of “holding gratification, contrary to Section 24 of the Corrupt Practices and other related offences Act, 2000” was raised against Justice Ademola in the new charge.
He was alleged to have had in his possession on October 7, 2016 (when security agents invaded his Abuja residence) N54m, $171,279, E4,400 (Euro), 80 Pounds, 1,010 Rupees, “being gratification received in the exercise of your official functions as a judge”.
Justice Ademola, his wife and Agi pleaded not guilty yesterday when the charge was read to them, following which their lawyers applied for their bail.
Solo Akuma (SAN), who represented the judge and his wife, urged the court to allow them to continue to enjoy the bail granted them when they were first arraigned.
Agi’s lawyer, Jeph Njikonye, argued his client’s bail application and prayed the court to allow his client on bail on self-recognisance, noting that Agi is not an ordinary citizen, but a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
Njikonye told the court that in view of the respect Agi enjoys, the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) did not raise the issue of bail when he honoured their invitation for questioning.
“He walked in and walked out on the two occasions when he went to the DSS. The issue of bail was not involved. Even in the EFCC, he was not detained,” Njikonye said. He urged the court not to order his client to deposit his travel documents.
Lead prosecution lawyer Segun Jegede did not object to bail for the defendants. He urged the court to order Agi to deposit his travel documents with the court as was the case with Justice Ademola and his wife.
Ruling, Justice Okeke allowed Justice Ademola and his wife to continue to enjoy the bail earlier granted them on self-recognisance and at N50m each. They were also required to deposit their international passports and other travel documents with the court.
Justice Okeke granted Agi bail at N50m and on self-recognisance. He ordered Agi to deposit his international passport and other travel documents with the court within the next seven days.
The judge adjourned till January 16 for the prosecution to open the trial.
