ALLEGED FRAUD: EFCC re-arraigns Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia, Obla

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has re-arraigned Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia and Chief Godwin Obla (SAN), over allegations that they unlawfully enriched themselves as well as conspired to pervert the course of justice.

The duo were re-arraigned before the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja after the commission made an amendment to their charges.

The anti-graft agency had first arraigned them in November 2016 on 30 charges. They were however slammed with 31 counts in the new charge.

In the new charges, the EFCC among other things accused Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia of receiving a total of $793,800 in several tranches from different sources between 2012 and 2015 “so as to have a significant increase in your assets that you cannot reasonably explain the increase in relation to your lawful income.”

The commission in the charges against Obla, accused him among other things of offering N5 million as gratification to the judge so as to allegedly pervert 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.

As they did in the earlier charges leveled against them, the defendants pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

This was even as the 12th prosecution witness, Abdullahi Lawal, an investigator, continued his testimony before the court on Friday.

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Lawal, who was led in evidence by the prosecutor, Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, pointed out three deposits – N4 million, N3 million and 5 million, which he said was made into the account of Nigel and Colive Nigeria Limited, a company allegedly belonging to Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia.

According to him, the deposits were made on July 11, 2014, by a Customs officer, Omali Musa.

 

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