Witness recounts how Delta, others enriched Justice Offili-Ajumogobia with $693,000

The fourth prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia, on Friday told a Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, how her bank account was credited with $693,000 between 2007 and 2011.

The witness, a former customer relations officer with Access Bank Plc, Clement Okaranwolu, said Delta State government alone, credited the alleged corrupt judge’s current bank account with N15million on August 5, 2011 and N9million on August 29, 2011, making a total of N24million.

According to the witness, while N15million was paid into her account with an Oceanic Bank cheque the N9million was lodged with a Zenith Bank cheque.

The witness, Okaranwolu, who was led in evidence by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo, disclosed this before Justice Hakeem Oshodi, the trial judge.

Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia is being tried on 30 counts alongside a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Godwin Obla.

The witness further explained to the court that aside the naira account, the judge also owned two dollar accounts into which lodgements were constantly made by herself and other individuals.

She listed people who paid into the defendant’s domiciliary account, Ken Mozia, who paid in $20,000 on May 7, 2008, Tony Iwobi, who paid $10,000 into the account on April 16, 2008; Ali D, who paid in $10,000 on June 16, 2007 and Subedetu, who paid in $3,000 on April 12, 2011 among several others.

Read also: Chief Registrar tells how Ngwuta in 5 years got £50,000, $196,000, N119m

He said that $10,000 was the maximum daily deposit allowed.

Okaranwolu, went further to say that between 2007 and 2011, the judge’s two dollar accounts received a total credit of $693,000 deposited by the judge and other individuals.

The witness presented the judge’s naira account statement before the court and named different people who paid into the account at one time or the other.

The matter was adjourned till April 28, 2017 for further proceedings.

Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia, who is a serving judge of the Federal High Court, is standing trial for alleged bribery and unlawful enrichment.

The EFCC accused her among other things of receiving a total of $793,800 in several tranches from different sources between 2012 and 2015.

 

 

 

RipplesNigeria ….without borders, without fears

Click here to download the Ripples Nigeria App for latest updates

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now