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EFCC drags Judge to court over fraud
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has dragged a judge of a high court, Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia to court over a curious money traced to her including $793,800.
She was re-arraigned on Friday at the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja alongside a senior lawyer, Godwin Obla.
The EFCC is accusing Ofili-Ajumogobia of unlawful enrichment and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.
Part of the 31 counts preferred against the judge states that she, between 2012 and 2015, received a total of $793,800 from various sources.
The anti-graft body said the accused judge could not explain the “significant increase … in her assets in relation to your lawful income.”
The second accused, Obla, is being accused of offering N5m 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.
The two defendants said they were not guilty of the alleged offences.
During the trial, a prosecution witness, Abdullahi Lawal while being led in evidence by EFCC lawyer Rotimi Oyedepo, alleged N4m, N3m and 5m were lodged in the company’s account – Nigel and Colive Nigeria Limited – believed to be owned by Ofili-Ajumogobia. He added a Customs officer, Omali Musa, made the payments on July 11, 2014.
