Justice Raliatu Adebiyi of an Ikeja High Court yesterday dismissed the no-case submission of former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Patrick Akpobolokemi, and former Executive Director of the agency, Ezekiel Agaba, on alleged N754.8 million fraud.
Justice Adebiyi held that the prosecution established a prima facie case against Akpobolokemi and Agaba, and ordered them to open their defence.
She dismissed the no-case submission following the adoption of the final written addresses of the prosecution and defense counsels. According to her, the prosecution had established a prima facie case against the defendants on counts two, three, four, five and seven bordering on stealing.
Justice Adebiyi ordered that the defendants must enter the dock to tell their own sides of the story concerning the alleged N754.8 million fraud. She further held that a prima facie case had been made against the second defendant on counts nine, 10, 11 and 12, bordering on forgery.
The judge, however, discharged and acquitted Akpobolokemi and Agaba on counts one, six and eight, bordering on conspiracy.
She thereafter adjourned the case until September 19 for the defendants to open their defence.
Akpobolokemi and Agaba are standing trial on a 12-count charge of stealing, forgery and conspiracy proffered against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), for allegedly defrauded NIMASA. They were initially charged with Governor Juan, Vincent Udoye, Ekene Nwakuche, Adegboyega Olopoenia and a company, Gama Marine Nigeria Ltd., before the charge was amended to involve only two of them.