EFCC re-arraigns Ajumogobia, SAN

Embattled Federal High Court Judge,  Justice Rita Ofili Ajumogobia, was on Friday re-arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a 31 count charges bordering on alleged unlawful enrichment and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

Ajumogobia was re-arraigned alongside Godwin Obla, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), but they both pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

Recall that the defendants were first arraigned in November 2016 on 30 charges, the EFCC arraigned both defendants after it amended the former charges.

In the new amended charges, Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia was, among other things, accused of receiving a total of $793,800 in several tranches from different sources between 2012 and 2015, while Obla was accused of offering N5m as a gratification to the judge so as to allegedly perverting the course of justice.

The offences were said to be contrary to sections 64(1), 82(a) and 69(1) (a) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State No. 11, 2011.

At Friday’s proceedings, the 12th prosecution witness, Abdullahi Lawal, an investigator-led in evidence by the prosecutor, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo,  pointed out that three deposits – N4m, N3m and 5m – made into the account of Nigel and Colive Nigeria Limited, a company allegedly belonging to Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia.

The deposits, he said, were made on July 11, 2014, by a Customs officer, Omale Musa, adding that  when Musa was confronted, he told the anti-graft agency that he carried out the instruction of his superior, Musa Tahir, who, in turn, said the instruction to pay the money was from Abdullahi Dikko, then Comptroller General of Customs.

Lawal said the finding was contrary to Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia’s claim that the N12m was proceeds of landed property bequeathed to her by her late mother.

“The sum of N12m was not part of the lawful income of the 1st defendant. They were payments made by Omale Musa, a Customs officer. They were sums being paid by Customs officers into Musa’s account, which he later transferred into the account of the 1st defendant,” he said.

Under cross-examination by Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia’s lawyer, Chief Robert Clarke (SAN), Lawal said he did not interview Dikko to find out the reason for the payment.