2nd March, 2016
Akin Kuponiyi
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has alleged that another Lagos senior lawyer also transferred N750,000 to the embattled Judge of the Federal High Court, Mohammed Yunusa.
The anti-graft agency said another sum of N300,000 was allegedly transferred into the account of another judge of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, Justice H. A. Nganjiwa.
This latest revelations are contained in a counter affidavit in opposition to the new affidavit deposed to by a former employee of Rickey Tarfa and Co. Mohammed Awwal Yunusa.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Rickey Tarfa, had sought and obtained the leave of court to file the new evidence in the N2.5 billion fundamental rights enforcement suit he filed against the EFCC.
Countering the new evidence, an operative of EFCC, Moses Awolusi, in an affidavit swore that new revelations have emerged about the alleged bribing of judges through “a network of senior lawyers”.
He said: “Investigation has also shown that as part of this chain of fraud, Mr. Joseph Nwobike (SAN) also transferred the sum of N300,000 to Hon. Justice H. A. Nganjiwa.
“That investigation further revealed that Hon Justice M. N. Yunusa as part of this scheme of fraud also received the sum of N750,000 from Mr. Joseph Nwobike SAN and Co.”
However, Nwobike in his statement to EFCC, which was also attached to the affidavit explained that the money was not meant to bribe the judge. He said it was the judge who asked him for financial assistance in respect of his ill mother who was undergoing dialysis due to failing kidney.
The lawyer said: “Sometime ago, Justice Yunusa requested to see me. When I got there, he pleaded with me to assist him with some funds since his mother was undergoing dialysis. He stated that her kidney had packed up and that he needed assistance to cure her. I felt sorry for him. I told him that I do not have funds, but that I will assist him when I get some money.
“I requested for his account details which he obliged me. When I got some money about two weeks after, I gave the money to him and he thanked me when he saw me along the corridor of the court of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi.”