Corruption cases against Lamido, Ohakim start afresh

Corruption cases against former Governors of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido and Imo State, Ikedi Ohakim, which are pending before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, will have to start afresh, Saturday Telegraph learnt yesterday.

This is because the trial judge, Justice Adeniyi Ademola, who has been handling the case will be proceeding on statutory retirement. Section 291(2) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) provides that: “A judicial officer appointed to any other court, other than those specified in Sub section (1) (Supreme Court and Court of Appeal) of this section may retire when he attains the age of 60 years and he shall cease to hold office when he attains the age of 65 years.”

A credible source, however, revealed that the judge preparatory to his retirement had returned most of the cases pending before him to the Acting Chief Judge of the court, Justice Abdu Kafarati, for reassignment. According to the source, who prefers anonymity, some of the cases returned by Justice Ademola include political and terrorism cases. “The man will be 65 years by March, 2018.

That is the constitutional age for judges of the Federal High Court to retire. In preparation for his retirement, I can confirm to you that he has returned most of the political and terrorism cases before him to the acting CJ, so that they can be re-assigned. “Part of the files returned to the acting CJ involves that of FRN V Ihedi Ohakim, FHC/ ABJ/CR/292/15, FRN V Sule Lamido, FRN V Otu Muhammed, FRN V Ibrahim Abimael and 7 others and FRN V Kelvin Oniarah Ezeigbe and three others,” disclosed the impeccable source. Justice Ademola was one of the seven judges the Department of State Services (DSS) launched a sting operation against on October 7 and 8, 2016.

New Telegraph, September 23, 2017

 

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