Skip to main content

Court strikes out FG’s forgery suit against Saraki, Ekweremadu

Saraki and Ekweremadu

Saraki and Ekweremadu

An FCT High Court on Friday struck out the Federal Government’s forgery charges against Senate President Bukola Saraki and his deputy Ike Ekweremadu.

The Office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), which brought the charges, also withdrew the charges against the former Clerk of the National Assembly, Salisu Maikasuwa and his deputy, Benedict Efeturi.

In his ruling on a motion filed by the prosecution team, Justice Yusuf Haliru, held that the court struck out the charges against the defendants on request of the prosecution team.

“I have heard the application presented by the Mr Aliyu Umar (SAN), the Prosecuting counsel, asking for the withdrawal of forgery charges against these four defendants.

“I have also listened to the positions of the counsel to the defendants and to the effect that objections were not raised.

“The court, therefore, has no option but to grant the prayer sought. The initial charges and the amended charges are hereby struck out, the four defendants are hereby discharged,’’ Haliru held.

Earlier, the prosecuting counsel had while presenting the application, said it had become imperative to withdraw the charges in order to avoid a “flagrant’’ abuse of court process.

Umar submitted that the prosecution had come to the realisation that a similar matter was pending at the Federal High Court, Abuja.

“This administration under President Muhammadu Buhari is committed to upholding the rule of law and respecting the hierarchy of the judiciary.

“We have discovered that pushing with this case will amount allowing two courts with coordinate jurisdiction to entertain a matter with similar issues that will bring about conflicting decisions.

“I, therefore, urge the court to in view of the above fact strike out the amended charge filed on Oct.5 and the original charge filed June 10,’’ Umar said.

The four were charged with allegations that they altered the Senate Standing Rules for the July 9, 2015 election of principal officers.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Houthis Claim Attack on Central Israel in Response to Gaza ‘Massacres’

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has taken a concerning regional turn as the Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed responsibility for an attack on central Israel. The group announced this as part of their escalating response to what they describe as "massacres" in Gaza amid the Israeli military’s operations in the strip. Details of the Attack The Houthis, a Shiite militant group with ties to Iran, declared that they launched missile and drone strikes targeting Israel. While the exact impact of these attacks remains unclear, reports suggest that Israel’s defense systems intercepted several threats over its airspace. This marks a significant escalation as the Houthis widen their involvement in the conflict beyond their typical operations within Yemen and neighboring Saudi Arabia. The Houthis’ Justification In their statement, the Houthis framed the attack as retaliation for Israel’s military actions in Gaza, which they characterized as indiscriminate bombings resultin...
Post a Comment
Read more

Fall of Assad is a Blow to Russia's Prestige

The potential fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a long-standing ally of Russia, would mark a turning point in Moscow’s global influence, particularly in the Middle East. Steve Rosenberg’s analysis underscores the profound implications for Russia, which has invested heavily—both militarily and politically—in ensuring Assad’s survival over the past decade. This article delves into why Assad’s downfall would strike at the core of Russian prestige and what it could mean for the broader geopolitical landscape. Russia's Strategic Commitment to Syria Since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Russia has been a staunch supporter of Assad's regime. In 2015, Moscow launched a military intervention that proved decisive in stabilizing Assad’s hold on power. This intervention solidified Russia's role as a key power broker in the Middle East and demonstrated its willingness to project military power far beyond its borders. Syria is not just an ally for Russia; it is a...
Post a Comment
Read more

Court grants Fani-Kayode N50m bail

Fani-kayode sandwiched by EFCC officials Justice James Tsoho of the Federal High Court Abuja on Thursday granted a N50m bail to former spokesman of the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode. Fani-Kayode was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a five-count charge of money laundering to the tune of N26m. Fani-Kayode is the sole defendant in the fresh charges numbered, FHC/ABJ/CR/140/2016. The EFCC accused the defendant of diverting 26 million Naira allegedly received from the ONSA while Sambo Dasuki was in office. The anti-graft agency also accused him of handling the said N26 million without going through financial institution as required under the Money Laundering Act. The embattled former minister is already facing 17-count charge of money laundering before the Lagos Division of the court, along with a former Finance Minister; Nenadi Usman, Danjuma Yusuf and a firm; Joint Trust Dimension Nigeria Limited. They were charg...
Post a Comment
Read more