No fewer than 10 officials of the EFCC surrounded former Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia as she attempted to leave the courtroom at 10.24 a.m. after Justice Hakeem Oshodi of the Lagos Federal High Court struck out the case for lack of jurisdiction.
Sighting the officials, Ofili-Ajumogobia darted back upstairs into Justice Oshodi’s courtroom to seek the protection of the court from the EFCC operatives.
Justice Oshodi however told her staright there was nothing he could do as “the file had been closed.”
The embattled former judge and her husband, who was with her, were started making phone calls.
Godwin Obla, a lawyer and Mrs Ofili-Ajumogobia’s co-defendant, was however allowed to exit the court premises by officials of the EFCC. His lawyer had told the court his client has a case to answer.
The former judge’s prosecution didn’t follow the National Judicial Council procedure–of a disciplinary action first, before prosecution of any judicial officers.
However, when Justice Oshodi’s court rose, she was arrested at 11.47 a.m. by some EFCC officials who whisked her away in a white Hilux van with Abuja plate number BWR637AT.
Justice Oshodi, in a ruling struck out the 31-count charge filed by the EFCC against Mrs Ofili-Ajumogobia and Mr Obla on the grounds that the court lacked jurisdiction to hear the suit.
The judge ruled that based on the judicial precedent set by the case of Justice Nganjiwa Vs FRN, the EFCC had “jumped the gun” in filing the first amended charge.
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