Agents
of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) currently
investigating cases of judicial corruption have told our Reporters that
their review of banking and other financial documents discovered that
Muiz Banire, the National Legal Adviser of the All Progressives Congress
(APC), paid N500, 000 to
one of the judges under investigation.
one of the judges under investigation.
EFCC
agents said their forensic scrutiny of some judges’ bank accounts
revealed suspicious payments made to numerous federal judges, including
the one made by Mr. Banire.
The
agents disclosed that several of the judges have been questioned by the
anti-corruption agency. They added that some of the answers provided by
the judges were at odds with bank statements where investigators
detected a series of suspicious transactions involving senior lawyers.
Yesterday
EFCC agents invited three of the lawyers to the agency’s offices for
questioning. Our sources revealed that the agency has scheduled at least
25 more lawyers to come in for interrogation in relation to the active
investigation.
Among
Federal justices who have so far been questioned are Uwani Abba-Aji of
the Appeals Court, James Agbadu-Fishim of the Industrial Court, Mohammed
Yunusa of the Federal High Court, Nganjiwa Hyledzira of the Federal
High Court, and Musa Kurya of the Federal High Court. Another Federal
High Court judge, Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia, was traced to a Lagos clinic
where she falsely claimed she was admitted before she turned herself in
last weekend.
Mr.
Banire has not been invited by the EFCC and SaharaReporters could not
confirm if and when he would be summoned. However, three senior lawyers
grilled yesterday included Paul Usoro, a lawyer to Senate President
Bukola Saraki, Gani Adetola-Kaseem, and Felix Fagbohungbe. Mr. Usoro
allegedly made five deposits into the account of the James Agbadu-Fishim
of the Industrial Court.
EFCC
agents disclosed that, when asked why he made the deposits, Mr. Usoro
claimed they were for four burials in the judge’s family, naming the
deceased as the judge’s father, mother, mother-in-law, and
father-in-law. He reportedly told EFCC agents that the fifth payment was
to support the judge in any future funeral activity in the judge’s
family.
Investigators
told our Reporters that Mr. Fagbohungbe cooperated with the
investigators until he was asked to read his statement before its formal
adoption by investigators. He reportedly requested for more paper, and
while investigators went to fetch the paper, he reportedly crossed out
his initial statement and attempted to destroy it before it was wrested
from him.
EFCC
investigators say they would likely arraign three of the judges next
Wednesday. They revealed that the case files of Justices Rita
Ofili-Ajumogobia, Mohammed Yunusa, and James Agbadu-Fishim were ready
for trial.
Meanwhile,
a senior lawyer, Niyi Akintola, has denied information circulating in
the media that he was summoned by the EFCC regarding allegations that he
bribed some judges. He denied involvement in any cases of bribery of
judges, and insisted that EFCC agents had yet to invite him. He added
that he was not involved in defending any judges before the National
Judicial Council.