Lagos court sentences SAN to one month imprisonment without option of fine

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Joseph Nwobike, has been sentenced to one month imprisonment by a Lagos High Court Judge, Justice Raliat Adebiyi, on conviction of bribery charges.

Nwobike, was convicted on 12 count-charges bordering on allegation of inducement to pervert the course of justice. He was acquitted on five counts of giving gratification and one count of making false statement.

Nwobike was accused by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of offering the sums of  N750,000 and N300,000 to Justices Mohammed Yunusa and Hyeladzira Nganjiwa, both of the Federal High Court., Lagos

The SAN was first arraigned on five count charges on March 9, 2016 by the EFCC, which later amended the charges on two different occasions.

The EFCC argued that the monies were meant to prevent the course of justice. However his lawyers said the N750,000 given to Justice Yunusa was not a bribe but “for the specific purpose of helping the (sick) mother of the gentleman.”

Justice Adebiyi did not give Nwobike the option of paying a fine.