The Federal Government has proposed three witnesses to testify against Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court in Abuja, and his wife, Olabowale, who is the Head of Service of Lagos State.
The Office of the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation had on Monday filed 15 counts of gratification against the couple before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The suit against Ademola included a bribe of N30 million received from one Joe Agi And Associates.
In the suit with number FCT/CR/21/2016, Justice Ademola and his wife were accused of “corruptly” receiving a total sum of N248,101,300 and $520,000 as gratification from some law firms and others in the discharge of Ademola’s judicial duties between 2013 an 2016.
The proof of evidence accompanying the charges sighted by our correspondent on Wednesday showed that the prosecution had listed as prosecution witnesses, Babatunde Adepoju, George Inyang, and an unnamed employee of Guaranty Trust Bank Plc.
Ademola and his wife allegedly received the gratification through the judge’s GTB account.
According to the proof of evidence, Adepoju will testify on “the defendants’ voluntary statement”, Inyang is to testify on “video CDs of the defendants’ interview”, while the bank employee is “to testify on Link Chart Analysis of monies received and transferred by the defendants.”
Details of Some Of The 15-Count Charge Preferred Against Justice Ademola And Wife:
COUNT ONE
STATEMENT OF OFFENCE
Criminal Conspiracy to Receive gratification contrary to Section 26(1) (c) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under Section 26 (1) of the same Law.
PARTICULARS OF OFFENCE
ADENIYI FRANCIS ADETOKUNBO ADEMOLA ‘M’ and OLABOWALE TOLUWATOPE ADEMOLA ‘F’ between 11th and 26th March 2015, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired to receive from Messrs Joe Agi and Associates through a bank account number 201/ 110160/1/1/0 domiciled at GT Bank PLC the total sum of Thirty Million Naira, (NGN 30,000,000.00) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 26(1)(c) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under section 26 (1) of the same Law.
COUNT TWO
STATEMENT OF OFFENCE
Receiving Gratification, contrary to Section 8(1)(a) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under section 8(1) (a) (ii) of the same Law.
PARTICULARS OF OFFENCE
That you Adeniyi Francis Adetokunbo Ademola, adult male, 63 years and Ademola Olabowale Toluwalope female, 59 years of No 32, Samuel Ogbemudia Crescent, Apo Zone E, Abuja, FCT between the 11th March 2015 and 26th March 2015, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, corruptly received from Messrs Joe Agi and Associates, through Ademola Olabowale Toluwalope’s bank account number 201/ 110160/1/1/0 domiciled at GT Bank PLC the total sum of Thirty Million Naira, (NGN 30,000,000.00) in order to influence the discharge of the official duties of Adeniyi Francis Adetokunbo Ademola as a Judge of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, contrary to Section 8 (1) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
COUNT THREE
STATEMENT OF OFFENCE
Receiving Gratification, contrary to Section 8(1)(a) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under section 8(1) (a) (ii) of the same Law.
PARTICULARS OF OFFENCE
ADENIYI FRANCIS ADETOKUNBO ADEMOLA, adult male, 63 years of age, of No 32, Samuel Ogbemudia Crescent, Apo Zone E, Abuja,FCT on or about the 6th day of May 2013at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, in your capacity as a Public Servant, corruptly received from the Law Firm of Messrs Johnson & Johnson Solicitors, the sum of Five Hundred and Twenty Thousand United State Dollars ($520,000.00) as gratification in the exercise of your official functions as a judge of the Federal High Court of Nigeria and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8(1)(a) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.
COUNT NINE
STATEMENT OF OFFENCE
Receiving Gratification, contrary to Section 8(1)(a) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under section 8(1) (a) (ii) of the same Law
PARTICULARS OF OFFENCE
ADENIYI FRANCIS ADETOKUNBO ADEMOLA,adult male, 63 years of age, of No 32, Samuel Ogbemudia Crescent, Apo Zone E, Abuja,FCT between the 25th day of February 2015 and the 16th day of April 2015 atAbuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, in your capacity as a Public Servant, accepted from the Law Firm of Messrs Oshodi, Oshodi & Co, the sum of Six Million Naira (NGN 6,000,000.00) as gratification in the exercise of your official functions as a judge of the Federal High Court of Nigeriaand thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8(1)(a) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
COUNT TEN
STATEMENT OF OFFENCE
Receiving Gratification, contrary to Section 8(1)(a) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under section 8(1) (a) (ii) of the same Law
PARTICULARS OF OFFENCE
ADENIYI FRANCIS ADETOKUNBO ADEMOLA, adult male, 63 years of age, of No 32, Samuel Ogbemudia Crescent, Apo Zone E, Abuja,FCT,between 5TH January and 23rd June 2016 atAbuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, in your capacity as a Public Servant, corruptly received from the Law Firm of Messrs G.T.J Ademola & Co, the sum of Fifty Five Million, Six Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (NGN 55,650,000. 00) as gratification, in the exercise of your official functions as a judge of the Federal High Court of Nigeria and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8(1)(a) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
COUNT ELEVEN
STATEMENT OF OFFENCE
Receiving Gratification, contrary to Section 8(1)(a) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under section 8(1) (a) (ii) of the same Law
PARTICULARS OF OFFENCE
ADENIYI FRANCIS ADETOKUNBO ADEMOLA, adult male, 63 years of age, of No 32, Samuel Ogbemudia Crescent, Apo Zone E, Abuja,FCT,on the 20th day of February 2014 at Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, in your capacity as a Public Servant, corruptly received from Vertice Solutions Ltd,the total sum of Forty Million Naira (NGN 40,000,000.00)as gratification in the exercise of your official functions as a judge of the Federal High Court of Nigeria and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section
COUNT TWELVE
STATEMENT OF OFFENCE
Receiving Gratification, contrary to Section 8(1)(a) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under section 8(1) (a) (ii) of the same Law
PARTICULARS OF OFFENCE
ADENIYI FRANCIS ADETOKUNBO ADEMOLA, adult male, 63 years of age, of No 32, Samuel Ogbemudia Crescent, Apo Zone E, Abuja,FCT,on the 20th day of February 2014 atAbuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, in your capacity as a Public Servant, corruptly received from Acardian Energy Services Ltd, the total sum of Forty-Seven Million Six Hundred Thousand Naira (NGN 47,600,000.00)as gratification in the exercise of your official functions as a judge of the Federal High Court of Nigeria and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8(1)(a) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
COUNT THIRTEEN
STATEMENT OF OFFENCE
Receiving Gratification, contrary to Section 8(1)(a) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under section 8(1) (a) (ii) of the same Law
PARTICULARS OF OFFENCE
ADENIYI FRANCIS ADETOKUNBO ADEMOLA, adult male, 63 years of age, of No 32, Samuel Ogbemudia Crescent, Apo Zone E, Abuja,FCT,between the 20th and 21st day of February 2014 atAbuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, in your capacity as a Public Servant, corruptly received from Omotayo Babafemi Aliyu the total sum of Thirty-Four Million and Eighty Thousand Naira (NGN 34,080,000.00) as gratification in the exercise of your official functions as a judge of the Federal High Court of Nigeria and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8(1)(a) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
COUNT FOURTEEN
STATEMENT OF OFFENCE
Receiving Gratification, contrary to Section 8(1)(a) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under section 8(1) (a) (ii) of the same Law.
PARTICULARS OF OFFENCE
ADENIYI FRANCIS ADETOKUNBO ADEMOLA, adult male, 63 years of age, of No 32, Samuel Ogbemudia Crescent, Apo Zone E, Abuja,FCT,between the 21st day of February and 7th day of November 2014 at Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, in your capacity as a Public Servant, corruptly received from Lawan Sulaiman the total sum of Four Million Seven Hundred And Seventy-One Thousand Three Hundred Naira (NGN4,771,300.00) as gratification in the exercise of your official functions as a judge of the Federal High Court of Nigeria and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8(1)(a) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act.
COUNT FIFTEEN
STATEMENT OF OFFENCE
Receiving Gratification, contrary to Section 8(1)(a) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000 and punishable under section 8(1) (a) (ii) of the same Law.
PARTICULARS OF OFFENCE
ADENIYI FRANCIS ADETOKUNBO ADEMOLA, adult male, 63 years of age, of No 32, Samuel Ogbemudia Crescent, Apo Zone E, Abuja, FCT, between the 20th and 21st day of February 2014 at Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, in your capacity as a Public Servant, corruptly received from Messrs Joe Odey Agi Associates the sum of Thirty Million Naira (NGN30,000,000.00) as gratification in the exercise of your official functions as a judge of the Federal High Court of Nigeria and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8(1)(a) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
Meanwhile, a lawyer in Justice Ademola’s defence team, Mr. Jeph Njikonye, had said on Tuesday that the charges were bogus and trumped-up.
Njikonye, who spoke with our correspondent in Abuja, said that the judge was eager to defend himself in court.
He added that the prosecutors went so “low” to impute that that the judge received gratification from his uncle’s law firm, G.T.J Ademola & Co., mentioned in the charges.
The lawyer said the Federal Government only filed the charges to play to the gallery and to justify the “unconstitutional” raid of the houses of the judges arrested by the Department of State Services.
Justice Ademola was among the judges, including two justices of the Supreme Court – Justices Sylvester Ngwuta and Inyang Okoro – arrested by the operatives of the Department of State Services between October 7 and 8 on allegations of corruption.
The Federal Government had on November 8, 2016 charged Justice Ngwuta before the Federal High Court, Abuja, for money laundering and passport infraction relating to age falsification and obtaining multiple passports.
Justice Okoro has, however, not been charged.
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