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Tag: Bamaiyi

  • Ajudua to Bamaiyi: show proof of source of $8.4m

    A Lagos socialite, Fred Ajudua, has asked former Chief of Army Staff Lt.-Gen. Ishaya Bamaiyi (retd) to provide proof of the source of the $8.4million for which he was alleged to have defrauded him in 2004.

    He made the request yesterday through his counsel, Olalekan Ojo (SAN), before Justice Josephine Oyefeso at an Ikeja High Court in Lagos.

    Ajudua is standing trial before the court for allegedly defrauding Lt. Gen. Bamaiyi of $8.4million while they were both in Kirikiri Prisons in 2004.

    Ajudua, alongside co-defendants, had allegedly approached Bamaiyi and convinced him that he could hire the services of Chief Afe Babalola (SAN) to help secure his freedom with Bamaiyi, giving Ajudua $8.4million as legal fees.

    At the time of the incident, Bamaiyi was in custody for treason, while Ajudua was in custody for fraud related offences.

    The law chambers of Afe Babalola and Co issued a disclaimer disassociating itself from the case.

    At the resumed proceedings yesterday, Ojo told the court that he had been re-hired by Ajudua to represent him and requested the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the last court proceedings held on November 26.

    He said he needed the CTC to keep him abreast of recent happenings in the case.

    Ojo said the defence wanted Bamaiyi to provide documents showing proof of the source of the $8.4million in order to adequately cross-examine the retired General.

    “My Lord, I got the CTC of the proceedings at 3pm yesterday and it was virtually impossible for me to have any discussion with the defendant.

    “We are not blaming anybody for this because in other courts, the CTC of proceedings won’t be ready as quickly as this because of the volume of work.

    “After reading the records of proceedings, I discovered several issues, which made us to request the learned counsel to the prosecution to avail us certain documents related to the evidence given by the first prosecution witness (Bamaiyi).

    “These include evidence of alleged sale of items of landed property, the proceeds of which, according to the witness, formed part of the sources of funds he claimed to have handed to the defendant.

    “The other pieces of evidence relate to the alleged transactions that took place at the Kirikiri Maximum Prisons.

    “There is need to write letters to the prison for some clarifications for us to conduct a thorough investigation,” he said.

    Ojo argued that there was nowhere in the proof of evidence where the former Chief of Army Staff had stated that he sold some specific landed property to raise the funds which he gave to Ajudua.

    He noted that Ajudua was granted bail by the Court of Appeal on December 10 for another fraud case he had pending before Justice Mojisola Dada of an Ikeja Special Offences Court.

    Ojo asked the court for an adjournment to enable him file necessary documents to compel the prosecution to provide documents that are not in the proof of evidence.

    The lead prosecutor for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Seidu Atteh, however, opposed the defence’s request for an adjournment.

    He argued that the evidence before the court was not solely based on the sale of property, explaining that that was just one of the numerous sources stated in the evidence-in-chief of Bamaiyi.

    Atteh said he was ready to cross-examine the witness on other sources of the funds given to the defendant.

    He promised to make available the proof of the landed property sold to the defence at the next adjourned date.

    “My Lord, I urge you to refuse the application in order to save judicial time.  I urge My Lord to call the witness to the box,” the EFCC prosecutor said.

    Acceding to the request of the defence for an adjournment, Justice Josephine Oyefeso ordered the prosecution to provide the necessary documents to the defence.

    She said the CTC would be ready for collection by the defence.

    Justice Oyefeso adjourned the matter till February 19, 20 and 21 for continuation of trial.

     

  • How Ajudua duped me of $8.4 million, by Bamaiyi

    FORMER Chief of Army Staff Lt-Gen. Ishaya Bamaiyi (retd) yesterday told an Ikeja High Court how he was allegedly duped of  $8.4 million by a Lagos lawyer and socialite, Fred Ajudua.

    Gen. Bamaiyi and Ajudua were both incarcerated at Kirikiri in 2012, when the alleged fraud took place.

    Bamaiyi was imprisoned for the attempted murder of Alex Ibru. Ajudua was in prison for fraud.

    He was led in evidence before Justice Josephine Oyefeso by  Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) prosecutor Mr. Seidu Atteh.

    Bamaiyi told the court that he collected the money from his friends, wife and workers after Ajudua told him that he would help him engage the services of Chief Afe Babalola (SAN) and also help in influencing Justice Joseph Oyewole, who was then handling his case.

    According to him, Ajudua,  in 2004, collected money from him and his associates six times. In 2005, he said Ajudua collected money from the same categories of people 19 times.

    “When on admission at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, my friends and personal staff delivered money to him while in prison. He also collected money from my wife twice – once inside the prison and the other one outside the prison.

    “Anytime money was released by me or any of my staff, I recorded them in my diary and anytime money was released both in the hospital and out of the hospital, he would call me on phone to confirm,” he said.

    Bamaiyi told the court that there was a time he was worried and demanded to meet Chief Afe  Babalola.

    “Instead, one Barrister Richard Oma came and met me in prison. He claimed to have come from Chambers of Chief Afe Babalola. But to my surprise, he did not come with any letter from Chief Afe Babalola’s Chambers.

    “Later, he came with another letter, which did not carry any logo from the Chambers of Chief Afe Babalola to me in the prison custody. I collected the letter from him,” he said.

    The former Chief of Army Staff said a man, named Kenneth, came to him in the prison custody and  claimed to be from Department of State Security Services.

    “He said he came from General Aliyu Gusau, the then National Security Adviser (NSA). He said Gusau and Obasanjo had met and they discussed my issue and they want to be assured that I will not cause trouble, if I am released from the custody.

    “I told him I had no problem with the President. He told me to write an undertaking that I will not cause trouble, if released. I told him I will not write any undertaking,” Bamaiyi said.

    Following his refusal, he said Ajudua, one Jonathan, who was a personal assistant to Ajudua and another alleged fraudster, Alumile Adedeji, popularly called Ade Bendel, collected money from him with intentions of securing the services of Chief Afe Babalola.

    Read also: Between history and Bamaiyi’s ‘vindication’

    “On November 22 , 2004, in the presence of ACP Garba, I gave the sum of $20,000 to one Jonathan, who was the personal assistant of the defendant. On November 30, my wife, Imuade, brought $400,000 and I counted the money and Jonathan, Ajudua’s boy, went away with the money.

    “On December 4, 2004, the defendant’s boy came with somebody, who said he was the orderly of Justice Oyewole and the sum of $1.5 million was counted before it was handed over to Jonathan.

    “On December 16, 2004, my ADC, Chechet, a Major, also brought in $1 million and gave the money to the defendant in visitors’ waiting room.

    “At about 6pm, the defendant called me and told me that his wife was in the house of the then Lagos State Chief Judge  Justice Ade Alabi, waiting for Chief Afe Babalola. He called his wife to confirm and at about 11.00 pm, the defendant called to tell me that Chief Afe Babalola had collected the money.

    “Sometimes on December 27, 2004, one of my associates brought in $350,000, which was given to the defendant. His boy, Jonathan, also collected $600,000 on January 15, 2005,” the witness said.

    He told the court that he raised the fund for which he was duped by the defendant by selling his properties in Victoria Island, Dolphins Estate, Yaba, Lekki in Lagos and  Kaduna as well as proceeds from his farm.

    Justice Oyefeso adjourned the matter till December 20 for cross-examination of the witness.

     

     

  • Between history and Bamaiyi’s ‘vindication’

    General Ishaya Bamaiyi’s latest intellectual perversion Vindication of a General ordinarily should not deserve a response from seriously minded people. For one, Gen Bamaiyi successfully portrayed himself in the book as a bundle of contradictions, and a person of doubtful integrity. Or how else can one describe someone who claimed every other person he ever associated with or serve under as evil?

    Before I am accused of exaggeration, let me give examples. In the book, he described his immediate older brother- the late Major-General Musa Bamaiyi as callous, mischievous and dishonest (page213-216); His town’s Emir (Zuru) Gen. Sani Sami (rtd) as an ingrate and insincere (page 185); Gen. M. Gausau (his former GOC) as incompetent (page 38); Gen. A. Z. Kazir, (his former Chief of Army Staff) an officer of doubtful loyalty (page 40); Gen. M.C. Alli (his former Chief of Army Staff) a coward (page 45-46); Prof Yemi Osinbajo (present Vice President) as an indecisive and diabolical Attorney General (page 133); and Gen Abdulsalam Abubakar,(former Head of State) an ex-convict (page113).

    This is against the background of Gen. Bamaiyi’s bigotry in the same book where he proclaimed himself to be ‘too honest and too smart’ (page 12).

    To put the record straight one is compelled to respond to Gen. Bamaiyi’s revisionism of history in his desperate attempt to rehabilitate himself from oblivion engendered by his self- inflicted habitual treachery and deceits.

    Suffice it to say, the book is a study in contradictions and incoherent thoughts. The general posited that there is nothing phantom about the 1995 and 1997 coups. This conclusion is understandable from his perspective. He claimed to have detected and foiled the coups. This suggests out rightly it will be self-contradictory for him to admit that the coups were phantom. Yet, Gen. Bamaiyi provided evidences throughout the book that the coups were indeed phantom. On 1995 coup, he claimed: “I had doubt about Gen. Obasanjo’s involvement in the coup based on the briefing we received from the DMI, Col. Sabo, the SPI report, and the statements of other coupists. (page 41).  What is more, the principal motive that led to set-ups to eliminate key political and military leaders was provided by Gen. Bamaiyi. According to him, “…based on available evidence and body language of Gen. Sani Abacha himself, the goal of the transition programme was to return himself to power at the end …”

    The perfidy of Gen. Bamaiyi was epitomized by his poor and failed attempt to exonerate himself from the 1997 coup set up against Gen. Oladipo Diya. In the first instance, he admitted inadvertently that there were attempts to set up Gen. Diya before 1997. Let me quote him: “Alli appeared to have agreed to help set up Diya but later confessed to such a setup … (page 56). Again, he asked a question which succinctly suggests set up against Gen Diya, “If we had tried to setup Gen Diya in 1996, why did he agree to deal with us again in 1997? (Pp56-57).  Also, Gen. Bamaiyi admitted that he presided over an army that manufactured evidence against officers for personal considerations. In another instance, he wrote: “Brig. Gen. Sabo, the DMI, once wrote a report to Gen Abacha alleging that Gen. Babangida, Dr. Mike Adenuga, and I had been seen on Kaduna Road discussing how to overthrown Abacha.(p57)” He further admitted that Abacha cohorts manufactured evidences to get rid of their enemies. (pp95-96). It is therefore obvious from Gen Bamaiyi’s narratives that Gen Oladipo Diya was apparently a victim of the ‘Abacha for life cohort’.

    His rendition on the 1997 coup was riddled with incoherent thoughts and contradictions. In one breath, he argued that Gen Diya began the coup plan in 1994 which he Bamaiyi informed Gen Abacha about (page 43-44). Yet, he reported that Gen. M. C. Alli was retired for plotting against Gen Abacha and the same Abacha prevented the retirement of Gen Diya on several occasions (page 43). Haba! You are not talking to fools.

    The historical facts of the 1997 phantom coup are in the public domain. Nigerians do not need a Bamaiyi revisionism to form opinion on who concocted the coup. The Chief investigator of the saga – Col. Frank Omenka had told TELL magazine of Jan. 11, 1999, “When I hear people talk of Diya’s coup I laugh because I know the truth it was not, pure and simple.” Even Gen. Victor Malu admitted that Gen. Diya was not the planner of the plot.

    If the truth must be told, Gen. Bamaiyi thrives on Niccolo Machiavelli adopted philosophy that ‘gratitude is a burden and revenge is a pleasure’-Tacitus c.55-120A.D. His tirade against Gen Diya apparently is informed by the Diya’s question during the trial “Where is Bamayi? I am surprised that the Chief of Army Staff is not here. He is the mastermind, the executioner and the planner of this incident. I am not going into details of that now because this is a clear case of set up…. and it is organised right from the top.” It was a speech made literally at the point death. It was a speech that exposed Gen Bamaiyi’s real character deficiency.

    Is it not curious that in the entire book, Gen Bamaiyi never for once mentioned the inglorious attempt of his cohort to murder Gen Diya on December 13, 1997 while he was on a plane trip to Gen. Lawrence Onoja’s mother’s burial in Benue State. Few days later Gen Diya was arrested purportedly for a coup. The truth is sacrosanct. No matter how many times a lie is told repeatedly, it is still a lie.

     

    • Afowowe is of the Department of History and International Studies, Osun State University.

  • Bamaiyi and perfidious Generals

    General Ishaya  Bamaiyi’s ‘Vindication of a General’ which came out recently once again calls attention to the tragedy of our military misadventure into politics since 1966.  It is the story of betrayal of our nation by the custodians of our constitution. In character with earlier contributions from other Generals, it was first tales of self-conceit. Bamaiyi told us he was feared by General Abdulsalami Abubakar and some of his people who thought he could overthrow Gen. Obasanjo’s government”. He also wants us to know he was different from other Abacha Generals as he lived above board. “They started by checking army accounts to see if I had stolen money. They spoke to the Director of Army Finance and Accounts, DAFA, Maj. Gen. Omosebi who told them he had never worked with an officer who believed in accountability like I did” , he stated with an apparent satisfaction. The book is also about the tales of conspiracy and intrigue that characterized the Babangida and Abacha years and his personal wars with his fellow treacherous Babangida and Abacha Generals in an era when the military according to Saliu Ibrahim, a former Chief of Army Staff, had become “an army of anything is possible”. And finally, Bamaiyi’s tales also confirm General Gowon’s thesis that the military lost its innocence with its involvement in politics and Professor Omo Omoruyi, Babangida’s confidant and the brain behind his derailed transition programme, that the “nature of the armed forces especially after the second coup, has been dog eat dog” and that “Nigeria can never be in peace until the political generals and political soldiers leave the scene”.

    Bamaiyi narrative is all about war of succession. It is either about the marginalization of Abacha according to Col Kangiwa Umar which Omo Omoruyi, the Aso rock professor of military political intrigue told us was the derailment of a pact between Babangida who was to spend five years and hand over to Abacha, or the balance of terror among warlords angling to take over from Babangida as military president or from Abacha as head of the military if Abiola succeeded in retrieving his pan-Nigeria mandate. These were the preoccupations of our generals while they unleashed terror on critics murdering Pa Rewane inside his house, Kudirat Abiola on the street of Lagos in broad day light, Tosin Onagoruwa close to his father’s house and many others.

    First Bamayi started from the area that touches him most. He had hoped to take over the military under MKO Abiola’s presidency. Abiola’s sudden death put an end to that dream. Bamayi now wants Nigerians to hold Abdulsalami, the then head of state responsible for Abiola’s death. Bamaiyi is right. The problem however is how to convince Nigerians he is different from his other perfidious generals who are driven only by self-interest. His case is not helped by the claim of Gabriel Ajayi, who was accused of co-plotting the 1995 coup. While describing Bamaiyi as a liar, he dismissed his tales as a comedy of errors. “How could he claim that Gen. Abdulsalami should be held accountable for Abiola’s death when he was among those who tortured Abiola before his death?” he had asked.

    Next, Bamaiyi has an axe to grind with ex-President Obasanjo under whose administration he was detained for eight years. He maintains Obasnajo was part of the phantom Diya 1995 coup even though Bello Fadile who was said to have privately and publicly apologised to Obasanjo, claiming he was tortured to frame him’ has exonerated Obasanjo upon release from prison. Bamaiyi went on to insist his eight years’ incarceration stemmed from his opposition to Obasanjo who was imposed on the country in 1999 as president by Generals Theophilus Danjuma, Babangida, Aliyu Gusau and Abdulsalami Abubakar. He says Obasanjo wanted to assassinate him because of his principled opposition to his candidacy. Reaction, an incensed Obasanjo asked: “That I wanted to kill him? What of the people he killed? My government did not plot to kill him,” adding “My government asked him to answer to those that were alleged to have been killed by him and that is legitimate”.

    Of course, Bamaiyi has nothing but disdain for Oladipo Diya who was one of the warlords under Babangida. He has continued to insist he was behind the phantom coup and that General Malu was right to have condemned him to death. Diya has not denied. In fact he had told Abacha ‘if the army has decided to remove you and I didn’t join them, I could be a target’. Abacha, then went on to remind Diya how ‘he had been instrumental several times in the past in saving Diya’s career and how he went ahead to make him the CDS” {Tell. Jan.26. 1998). That Diya and his other generals did not realize that they were being set up by Bamaiyi speaks volumes about the worth of generals under Abacha who according to some accounts was never reckoned to go beyond a colonel in the military.

    Abdulkarim Adisa , a groveling  General, who once swore  to die for General Babangida, his benefactor and who was also roped into the  phantom coup is not alife lo react to Bamaiyi’s tales. For General Olanrewaju however, Bamaiyi was trying to twist history. Bamaiyi’s book he says,  “can open the eyes of all Nigerians to see the footprints of an ambitious soldier that Bamaiyi epitomises as detailed in every account of the power play, which appears unfavourable to him, but favourable to both General Abdulsalami Abubakar as Abacha’s successor and General Olusegun Obasanjo as 1999 civilian president. He lost out in the power play.”

    Bamayi also had problem from the home front. His brother, he says wanted him jailed while in detention. The Emir of Zuru he helped installed, he says wrote Maccido and Gusau to have his assets investigated.  Bamaiyi seems to have problem with everyone. While he blames Obasanjo for his detention, he also acknowledges that when he visited Gusau in his office, he was told “an investigation was on and that CP Danbaba said he (Bamaiyi) had authorized him to issue a weapon with which Mr. Alex Ibru was shot”. The question is whether it was possible for CP Danbaba who was alleged to anchor the activities of the Abacha killing squad in Lagos to forget the identities of members of his group.

    It is not enough for Generals who owned their epaulets by the grace of professional coup plotters or as Omo Omoruyi puts it, the duo that “have been engaged in this coup thing all their life” to deny and denounce Bamaiyi’s tales. The travails of our nation started with pact between the two professional coup makers on August 5, 1986. They did not only destroy the military as Gowon has observed, they also left behind baleful legacies. Structural Adjustment Programme that we were told would last for 18 months went on for five years. We today reap its effects in form of imported labour of other societies while our own children roam the streets in search of jobs. The Directorate of Foods, Roads and Rural Infrastructure (DFRRI) like Better Life for Rural Women with its alleged N400m funding from Central Bank collapsed with Babangida. His synthetic two parties we were told would allow the masses at the grassroots to mobilise the urban elite they look up to for direction collapsed on their head. The N5b spent on building headquarters for the two synthetic parties was a waste just like the N40b frittered away on a transition programme that was designed to fail. The czar of the Centre for Democratic Studies ( CDS) that was to breed new breed politicians according to Omo Omoruyi, traded away Babangida’s interim contraption ‘on a platter of naira’ while the new breeds produced by the school graduated into national politics where they breed nothing but corruption. The perfidious Generals for the above reasons need to tell their own stories.

  • Bamaiyi’s lies: In defence of Osinbajo and Justice Ade Alabi

    Savouring his court-ordered freedom after spending about eight years at Kirikiri prison, Lagos for alleged complicity in the attempted assassination of Alex Ibru, then publisher of Guardian newspaper, a former Chief of Army Staff, Lt- General Ishaya Bamaiyi, has come out with his book.

    The book, titled “Vindication of a General” ought to have been aptly titled “Lies of a General”.

    The book, which purports to be his own story, detailing his travails during his trial, is unfortunately riddled with falsehood and gross misrepresentation of facts as far as the incident regarding his false allegation against the first presiding judge, Ade Alabi was concerned.

    Bamaiyi was charged along with Major Hamza, Al-Mustapha, former Lagos police Commissioner, James Danbaba, CSP Rabo Lawal and Col. Baba Yakubu, over the attempted murder of Mr Ibru.

    As the trial got underway, the defendants tried all tricks in the book to delay and scuttle their trial and one of the strategies was to accuse the presiding Judge, who incidentally was the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Ade Alabi, of demanding a bribe of $10 million (not N10 million as stated by Bamaiyi in his book), to enable him grant bail to the defendants.

    First, the defendants made the allegation in the open court, ostensibly to annoy the judge and eventually to get the case transfered to another judge who would then start the case de novo.

    The case was being prosecuted by the Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, who was ostensibly incensed over this spurious allegation.

    The defendants, thereafter petitioned the National Judicial Council (NJC) which investigated the allegation and exculpated the judge, having found that the allegation was spurious and baseless.

    To underline his ignorance, Bamaiyi, in trying to pooh-pooh the NJC’s investigation, claimed in his book that the judge “refused to enter the dock” during the investigation. If the retired General had availed knowledgeable people, versed in law the privilege of going through his poorly written manuscript, they would have told him that NJC administrative panel is not a criminal court where a defendant facing criminal charges enters the dock. They would also have advised him against the defamatory statements he made in the book concerning the judge and Osinbajo.

    According to Bamaiyi, “Specifically, that prof. Osinbajo brought what he said was the panel report during one of the motions. Unfortunately, pages one through to twenty-nine of the report were not produced”. He went on to allege that the NJC protected the judge, while he similarly alleged that Osinbajo and the presiding judge were invited to Abuja and directed to convict the defendants within six months. He went on with his cocktail of lies of how the judge allegedly demanded a bribe of N10 million.

    As someone who was a witness during the trial and conversant with the facts, l say without any equivocation that nothing could have been farther from the truth.

    Bamaiyi should have known the additional steps taken by his lawyer, Mike Okoye during the trial, in repeating this allegation of bribery and how he recanted and apologised to the judge.

    Mike Okoye had addressed a press conference, where he repeated the allegation of Bamaiyi but in his own case, he alleged it was $10million and not N10 million as stated by Bamaiyi. These spurious allegations were published by the press and Mr Okoye was subsequently charged to court for criminal contempt.

    He was charged before Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour (now Justice of the Supreme court).

    In court, Okoye recanted and apologised to the judge.

    Below is the full text of the ruling by Justice Bode Rhodes- Vivour in the Mike Okoye Contempt case.

    In the High Court of Lagos state

    Holden in the General Division, Lagos

    On Friday 8th Day of March, 2002

    Before the Hon. Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour

    Suit No.LCD/9/2002

    Between The State

    And

    Mike Okoye

     

    RULING

    Mr. Mike Okoye, a legal practitioner was charged on an information with the following offences:-

    Count 1

    Statement of Offence

    Contempt of Court Contrary to section 133 (4) of the

    Criminal Code Cap 32 Vol.2 Laws of Lagos State 1994.

    Particulars of Offence

    Mike Okoye (M) on or about the first day of January 2002 at Lagos in the Lagos Judicial Division did cause the scandalizing of the court with utterances and statements spoken and made in news item  of “THISDAY” Newpaper of 7/1/2002 and concerning the Honourable Mr Justice A. Ade Alabi in the public capacity, to wit, qua the presiding trial judge seized  of the conduct of charge No. LCD/108/99: The State vs. Lt. Gen. R. Ishaya  Bamaiyi and 4 others.

    Count 2

    Statement of offence

    Contempt of court contrary to section133 (4) of the Criminal Code Cap 32 Vol. 2 Laws of Lagos State 1994.             Particular of Offence:

    Mike Okoye (M) on or about the 4th  day of     January 2002 at Lagos state in the Lagos Judicial Division, did cause the scandalizing of the court with utterances and statements spoken, published and made in a news item on the back page of  Daily Times newspaper of 7/1/2002 and concerning the Honorable Mr. Justice A. Alabi  in his public capacity to wit, qua the presiding trial Judge seized of the conduct of the charge number LCD/108/99: The State vs Lt. Gen R. Ishaya Bamaiyi and 4 others.

    He pleaded not guilty to both counts , and immediately proceeded to read out a prepared text to the court. The operative part reads thus:

    “I apologize to the Bench and the Hon. Justice Ade Alabi for any injury he may have suffered from his unwarranted and unnecessary publications. I am aware that the publication has the effect of bringing to disrepute, office, integrity and position of Hon. Justice Alabi but l would want to disabuse the minds of the public of this impression and state that these allegations of corruption leveled against Hon. Justice Ade Alabi are not true to the best of my knowledge”.

    Thereafter, the Lagos State Solicitor General applied to withdraw the charge on behalf of the Hon. Attorney General and the Commissioner of Justice. This is what he had to say:”I wish the  court understands the attitude of Office of the Attorney-General to prosecute or otherwise. Because Mr. Okoye has apologized and because more fundamentally, he has admitted that the allegations are not true, it is our view that the mischief/damage which this proceedings were filed to correct, to wit: maintenance of the institution and it’s officers,  I would, considering the plea of the accused person, be willing on behalf of the Attorney-General to withdraw the charge.”

    After listening to

    1. Mr. Femi Falana,  counsel for Mr. Mike Okoye
    2. Mr T.E.Williams representing Chief F.R.A Williams
    3. Mr Dabiri, Chairman, Nigeria Bar Association, Lagos Branch
    4. Mr. L.Yusuf, Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association, Ikeja Branch

    5.Mr O.O. Salu, representing  Mrs. Ayo Obe of the Civil Liberties Orgnisation.

    I adjourned this suit till today. I adjourned for a ruling and not to seek appropriate directives as reported in the Guardian Newspaper of 2/3/2002. See proceedings of 1/3/2002.

    It is about time that when a reporter is not clear as to what a judge said, he would do well to seek an explanation from  the registrar  of court, rather than credit the judge with what was never said.

    The Honorable Justice Ade Alabi is the trial judge in suit  No.LCD/108/99.  The accused persons are Lt. General Bamaiyi, the former Chief of Army Staff, Major H. Al- Mustapha, Chief Security Officer to the former military

    Head of state,  Rabo lawal, a Chief Superintendent of police, Mr  James Danbaba,  a one time Lagos  Commissioner of police and Col. T. Baba Yakubu, ex-administrator  of Zamfara State. They are charged with attempting to kill the Guardian Publisher, Mr. Alex Ibru.

    During the trial, which is still in progress, Major Al-Mustapha accused the trial judge of demanding bribes from him. Mr. Mike Okoye who at the time represented one of the accused persons, held a press conference and told newsmen that he could prove the trial judge demanded for $10 million from the accused person. The Daily Times and THISDAY Newspapers of Monday 7th day of January 2002, gave wide coverage to Mr. Okoye’s wild, unguarded and unfounded statements which to me, amount to the most despicable assault on the Bench. Mr. Mike Okoye’s conduct constitutes an intolerable attack on the Bench and the well being of society. A crime of monumental proportions. Such dare devilry must be checked, otherwise the foundations of the judiciary may very well crumble.

    The Honourable Attorney-General quickly rose to the occasion, filing this information.

    One can imagine the days, weeks of grinding hell, an awful strain these unguarded and untrue accusations caused his Lordship , a judge  no doubt with transparent integrity and manifest probity, whose tireless energy and unquenchable enthusiasm are too clear for all to see.

    Okoye said openly in court that his statement with the press are not true. The need to proceed with a trial with be pointless since the statement fundamentally addresses the issue and the trial will not do the same.

    It is not the practice of courts to question the Attorney-General when he decides to withdraw a charge . He can not be questioned by anyone and owes no one an explanation for prosecuting or deciding against prosecution.It is clear that the offensive publications were given very wide coverage by the press and other electronic devices.

    Petitions were addressed to the Executive, Legislative, and Judiciary, accusing the highly respected Jurist of taking bribes. It becomes imperative that a retraction is given similar wide publication.

    1. Mr Okoye shall cause to be published, the entire statement he made to this  court on 1/3/2002 in the following Newspapers:

    (a)    The Daily Times

    (b)    THISDAY

    (c)    The punch

    (d)    The Guardian and

    (e)    THE Tribune

    1.   This ruling and the proceedings in the suit shall be forwarded to

    (a)The  Body of Benchers

    (b)The Privileges  Committee and the

    (c)And the Disciplinary Committee of the Bar.

    1. The matter would be further adjourned to Friday, the 15th day of March  2002,  for compliance.
    2. Rhodes-Vivour

    Judge

    8/3/ 2002

    Appearance

    Mrs. B.B. Ayodele,  T.K. Shitta-Bey with her for Lagos state;

    O.Okorojie, I. Okoli, L. Okoroafor, A. Ebohon with him holding F. Falana’s

    Brief for the accused person;

    T.E. Williams, M. Giwa Amu with him for Chief F.R.A.

    Williams SAN as friend of the court

    Bode Kowe holds brief of L. Yusuf, friend of the court.

    B.Rhodes-Vivour. J

    Based on this ruling, it would amount to sheer mischief for General Bamaiyi to make such defamatory statements against Hon. Justice Ade Alabi and Prof. Osinbajo on the so-called bribery.

    Instead of belching out despicable lies against innocent people, Bamaiyi should rather use this time of respite for sober reflection on the controversial roles he played during the General Sani Abacha junta.

    More importantly, it would also be interesting for the former Chief of Army Staff to explain how he came about the $4.8million dollars that was swindled off him while in Kirikiri prison, Lagos, for which Fred Ajudua is currently standing trial.

    Ajudua, has been charged to an Ikeja High court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly defrauding Bamaiyi of $4.8 million, having approached the former Army Chief while at Kirikiri prison that he could help him secure his freedom.

    Already, a court registrar, Ronke Rosulu, an alleged accomplice of Ajudua in the fraud saga, is currently serving a 10 – year imprisonment, having been convicted by Justice Lateef Lawal -Akapo over her role in the fraud saga.

    It may be necessary for the EFCC to ask Bamaiyi to come and explain how he came about such amount of money, even during his incarceration.

    • Akinnola is the Director, Media Law Centre
  • Killing you serves no purpose, Obasanjo replies Bamaiyi

    Killing you serves no purpose, Obasanjo replies Bamaiyi

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday replied to former Chief of Army Staff, Maj.-Gen. Ishaya Bamaiyi’s allegation that he (Obasanjo) wanted to kill him.

    Obasanjo said he had no plan to kill Gen. Bamaiyi, adding that his administration only asked him to answer questions on people he allegedly killed.

    The former President, who turned 80 last March, wondered what he would gain if he killed Bamaiyi.

    He said: “Who the hell is he that I would want to kill him? Kill him, for what? To achieve what?”

    Obasanjo spoke at his  Presidential Hilltop Estate in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, during when he hosted the Correspondents Chapel of the state’s chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).

    Obasanjo said: “That I wanted to kill him (Bamaiyi)? What of the people he killed? My government did not plot to kill him. My government asked him to answer to those that were alleged to have been killed by him, and that is legitimate.

    “That if there is an allegation that you have done something, that you have committed a crime and you are arrested, you should answer. That’s all: pure and simple. Who the hell is he that I would want to kill him? Kill him for what? To achieve what? No!

    “There were allegations. The police and other law enforcement agencies decided to look into the allegations.

    “They invited him and they asked him to answer as a result of what was found. So, they charged him to court. So, it’s now up to him. The investigators, as I said, the prosecutors and the Judiciary; that’s all.”

    The former President also suggested how to win the war against corruption.

    According to him, thorough investigation, diligent prosecution and a committed Judiciary” would guarantee effective and victorious war against corruption.

    Obasanjo urged anti-graft agencies to desist from engaging weak prosecutors but hire quality lawyers from within.

    He noted that lawyers from outside the agencies could deliberately file a wishy-washy case just to give the other party an avenue to escape justice.

    Obasanjo said: “I was reading today when the President (Muhammadu Buhari) said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) should stop losing cases. They lose cases for a number of reasons. One, they engage more of outside lawyers. I believe that they need ogbologbo (staunch) lawyers inside who will do the work.”

  • Bamaiyi, Yari and our ‘saintly’ leaders

    WHEN given the slightest chance, African leaders glibly transform into ‘godly’ men, bringing lousy ‘proofs’ of dubious saintliness and divine mandate posing as people who truly commune with celestial spirits daily. In saner climes, Gen. Ishaya Bamaiyi and Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari, would not be making pretensions to the highest honour in the land for forthrightness, integrity and display of undiluted patriotism in dissecting Nigeria’s socio-economic issues and being the torch-bearer of zealous truthfulness. But in a country where sycophancy and toadying by the whim have become assured steps towards becoming prominently relevant, I would not be surprised if these two gentlemen are propped up as iconic representations of an elite class that the abjectly poor in our midst – in their supposed ignorance –routinely blame for the endemic corruption and impunity in the polity.

    Come to think of it, if Bamaiyi and Yari had decided to maintain the conspiratorial silence and cheeky grin on the faces of the select few that make this club of elites, how would we have known that we were only ‘beefing’ this set of Nigerians for no justifiable reason? We vilify them, accusing them of foisting a regime of hopelessness on us when we should have shown them loads of gratitude for their selfless sacrifice to humanity. We forget the incontrovertible admonition, in a country drenched with religiosity, which cautions us to be wary of kicking leaders in the groin even when they become tyrants, knowing that God not men chooses them. Some would glibly tell you it is an abominable sin to question these so-called leaders.

    That’s bunkum. Anyway, for those who believe in that logic of an infallible leadership, a window of redemption has been opened for them with the confessions of Bamaiyi and Yari. Their revelations could not have come at a better time than now when Nigerians have begun to doubt if they are among those God promised his undying love and favour. If Bamaiyi, a former Chief of Army Staff under the regime of the late dark-goggled General Sani Abacha, had not taken the pains to highlight our unforgivable sins against the saintly General in starched khaki, how would we have known how best to appease his restless spirit which, I assume, must hovering over this ‘sinful’ country, seeking a libation of contrition? And so, it turned out that all the gragra that successive governments in this country have been making about “Abacha loot” is nothing more than an attempt to paint an angry and dead General in bad light presumably to have access to re-loot funds he legitimately kept in trust for us.

    That is the gospel according to Bamaiyi. For him, all the effusions and epileptic babbling in the public space over the billions of dollars stolen by Abacha were nothing more than a big hoax! If that was the case, it then follows that former President Olusegun Obasanjo lied against the dead when he said he negotiated the release of millions of dollars’ worth of Abacha loot. It equally means that the late President Umaru Yar’Adua only got money that Abacha generously saved for us in case we bumped into hard times. Surely, former President Goodluck Jonathan and his Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, must have been economical with the truth when they said millions of dollars recovered as parts of the phantom Abacha loot was deployed for electoral purposes.

    Question is: why lie against the dead when the most reasonable thing would have been to give posthumous honours to an indefatigable military ruler who starched our funds in safe havens where we had to beg and sign undertakings on the judicious use before accessing the funds? In fact, we should be thanking our luck that we are alive to read an insider’s accounts on why and how Abacha put country first before self. And it is ennobling that Bamaiyi, who spent many years in the gulag for the ignoble role he played in the Abacha jackboot era, would be the one to set the record straight in his bestseller monologue titled “Vindication of a General” where he sang the praises of his former boss and comrade-inarms to high heavens. Snippets from the book show that we have spent years misconstruing the Abacha personae—the one Bamaiyi worked with. For example, we did not know that Obasanjo and the elder Yar’Adua (Shehu) were actually involved in a failed coup against Abacha.

    Bamaiyi said it was not phantom but real. We wouldn’t have known that General Abdulsalami Abubakar (Rtd.) needs to come clean on how and when a simple sip of tea led to the death of the hero of the June 12, 1993 election, Chief Moshood Kasimawo Olawale Abiola. To Bamaiyi, no one has bothered to ask that question until the release of his book that sought to vindicate the much-vilified Abacha. It equally took Bamaiyi’s incisive prodding to eke details of how NADECO leaders ‘betrayed’ Abiola and handed his carcass to a humane Abacha to feast on! Wonderful script, you say? My take? Bamaiyi stands out as a poster boy for criminal revisionism with his queer understanding of what should constitute an act of official and banal malfeasance by our leaders. Putting a lie to the popular Abacha loot saga at the book launch which, as usual, attracted a reasonable number of Nigeria’s fleecing elite, Bamaiyi launched into a reverie of irascible gobbledygook, saying that: “If you remember, we had problem in Sierra Leone and Liberia under Abacha government and it was money realised under Abacha regime that we used to buy weapons and ammunition to help them fight.”

    He went further: “I am happy that a former Minister of Finance said the money was not looted but things happen and when things happen like that and you are not here to defend yourself, rumours will just be flying. I am not holding brief for Abacha but I would not be in a position to know if money was looted. What I know is that things do happen and I know that Abacha did very well for the country. If we see him from the bad aspect, we should also look at his good aspect and remember him for the good things he did for the country. That is why I said Abacha loot is a media creation.” The truth is that this circumlocutory outburst could have been written in another language but English and the readers would still be at a loss in decoding its real meaning.

    Things do happen? Really? And when these things happen, all that Abacha could was to help an unthinking populace lodge $380m in Jersey (recovered); $723m in Switzerland (recovered); $380m in Luxemboug (recovered); $150m in the United Kingdom (recovered); $400m in Liechtenstein (recovered); |22.5m pounds (recovered) in the Island of New Jersey and the $750m which his family voluntarily surrendered to the Federal Government? These recoveries, by the way, are aside a fresh $550m linked to Abacha and currently being negotiated for repatriation from the United States by the Federal Government. While the various countries where the funds are starched are insisting on a clear-cut plan on how the Nigerian government would deploy the money for the general good, some shameless retired accomplice of the kleptocrat insists that nothing of such ever happened. And, as usual, the media is the scapegoat of the phantom creation called Abacha loot! Sadly, it is this sort of shocking rant that makes some people dismiss this country is a huge farce with the bunch of jokers that easily rise to the top.

    The irony is that memoirs, written by some persons, can no longer be relied on as historical facts. They are simply a work of fiction from the writer’s twisted tale of events. That’s not good enough. When our ‘big men’ write, they use it to launder their image and paint the facts with sweet-scented lies. Our libraries are replete with these kinds of literature. General Bamaiyi has just added yet another one to our shelf of alternative facts. Believe me when I say things do happen in this country. When elders are sworn on dying with the truth while selling off lies with glee, why should anyone blame the present ones who seem to have overtaken them in the art of spewing whimsical baloney? One of such examples is the reason given by no less a person than the Governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari, on outbreak of Type C Cerebrospinal Meningitis in some parts of the country.

    For a man who chairs the powerful and influential Nigeria Governors Forum, you would have thought that Yari would have availed himself of the verifiable and quality information at his disposal to mitigate concerns over why his state was the worst hit with over 200 deaths in a modern age where vaccines could have changed the narrative. Well, that is where we got it wrong. Yari, a former lawmaker at the House of Representatives, would rather see the plague from the prism of religious escapism. The latest wave of attack, he explained, is God’s way of showing his angst against Nigerians for refusing to subsume everything under His divine authority and guidance. Listen to him: “Because people refused to stop their nefarious activities, God now decided to send Type C virus, which has no vaccination. People have turned away from God and he has promised that ‘if you do anyhow, you see anyhow’ that is just the cause of this outbreak as far as I am concerned. There is no way fornication will be so rampant and God will not send a disease that cannot be cured.” Yari, it must be noted, did not tell us when God revealed this important secret to him. He did say if Zamfara has the largest number of fornicators even with Sharia law.

    He didn’t even tell us if the children killed by the disease were also involved in fornication. Instead, Yari deflected questions on the report that medical experts accused his government of being ill-prepared for the epidemic despite being forewarned. He was quick to add that the poor and other vulnerable citizens suffer because they fail to hearken to the warnings of their leaders who “are doing their best by enlightening the populace and working assiduously for the good of all”, adding with uncanny relish that; “your major assignment as a leader is to convey the message; you cannot go from house to house and arrest offenders for instance.” Although, Yari’s media minder has come out with a finer version of his boss’s misfiring, it does not change the narrative of our deficiency in quality leadership. You know what? I know what to say but words have simply failed me at this moment. I resist the temptation to engage in a fruitless fight with these guys who are fully inebriated on power. Yet, one thing is clear: Nigeria is one huge joke where the ignorantly stupid lead the sane but docile folks by the nose. As Charly Boy was quoted as saying: “Nigeria mumu too much”. And that’s how it will be until we all have a proper brain reset. That is it!

  • Olanrewaju dismisses Bamaiyi as ‘ambitious soldier’

    Olanrewaju dismisses Bamaiyi as ‘ambitious soldier’

    Former Minister of Communications Major-General Tajudeen Olanrewaju (retd.) yesterday  said the former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-General Ishaya Bamaiyi, misplaced facts in his book,  “Vindication of a General”.

    Chiding the former Army chief for “peddling falsehood”, he said the book failed to give a proper account of the 1995 and 1997 attempted coups.

    Olanrewaju, who is also a former General Officer Commanding (GOC) the army’s 3 Division, Jos, said in a statement in Lagos that Bamaiyi’s book twisted the facts of history.

    The former Minister, who was tried and sentenced to death by the military tribunal for his alleged involvement in the coup, maintained that he was framed up.

    He said: “The point to note is that students of history must know what transpired in the 1995 and 1997 coup saga for posterity sake as against the misplacement of facts contained in the excerpts reported from the Bamaiyi’s new book.

    “Ironically, the new book can open the eyes of all Nigerians to see the footprint of an ambitious soldier that Bamaiyi epitomises as detailed in every account of the power play, which appears unfavourable to him, but favourable to both General Abdulsalami Abubakar as Abacha’s successor and General Olusegun Obasanjo as 1999 civilian president. He lost out in the power play.”

    Olanrewaju added: “There are two main issues I want to correct. The first was the arrest of Gwadabe.  In his book, Bamaiyi stated that General Olanrewaju briefed the meeting called by the then Chief of Army Staff, General Alwali Kazir (retd.), which was factually incorrect. What is correct is that the only person who briefed the meeting was the DMI (Directorate of Military Intelligence), General Sarki Mukthar, whose duty it was to brief the meeting about security situation in the country.

    “Following this, I was instructed by the meeting to facilitate the arrest of Gwadabe, whose brigade in Yola was under my command, while other commanders were similarly instructed to effect the arrests of others under their own commands.  The instruction to arrest Colonel Bello Fadile was also given in the meeting. Fortunately, General Kazir and General Mukthar are alive today to testify to the truth of this matter.

    “The second issue to be cleared is the 1997 Diya’s coup.”

    In his book, Bamaiyi claimed that “other meetings took place at a guest house with Gen. Diya, Gen. Olanrewaju, CO 7 Gds Bn, Gen. Diya’s security officer, Major Fadipe and me.  Of course, General Abacha was always briefed after the meetings.”

    But, Olanrewaju denied any participation at the meeting, adding: “The said CO 7 Gds Bn and Major Fadipe, if called upon, will testify to the truth.I met Ishaya on two occasions; he met me in my house and I met him in his house, both times in Abuja.

    “For avoidance of doubt and for students of history, the first time I heard about the Diya’s coup was when Bamaiyi told me and Aziza confirmed it.This is how my name was dragged into the coup and it has affected my distinguished career in the Army.”

  • How Buhari can succeed, by Bamaiyi

    How Buhari can succeed, by Bamaiyi

    Former Chief of Army Staff Lt.-Gen. Ishaya Bamaiyi (retd) is presenting a book titled: ‘’The Vindication of a General’’ today in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). In this interview with reporters, he speaks on his military career and his incarceration for eight years. Bamaiyi also urges Nigerians to support President Muhammadu Buhari in his bid to transform the country. He warns that Nigeria may not survive another civil war. Excerpts:

    Why did you enlist in the Army?

    As a child, I had always wanted to be a soldier and I am glad that I achieved my ambition in life of being a soldier which I joined while I was teaching in a primary school. I joined the Army as a soldier in the Education Corps where I rose to the rank of Corporal before going to the Defence Academy and got commissioned as a Second Lieutenant on July 5, 1968. I was involved in the Nigeria Civil war from July 1968 to the end of the war.

    I enjoyed my military career because I never had problems with my commanders and my promotions went well. I never missed any promotion. The wish of every officer is to reach the rank of a General. I did not only achieve that but by the grace of God, I was appointed the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) in March, 1996 and held that post for over three years. Due to the involvement of the Military in politics, I had a turbulent tenure because I stood for the Army keeping away from politics. This stand caused me problems which ended me in detention in prison for over eight years, because I objected to a military person taking over from us in 1999.

    I must confess that in spite of what I went through, I had a fulfilled and successful military career. I believe that this country would have been better if we did not make the mistake of bringing a retired military person in 1999.

    What is your book ‘’The Vindication of a General’’ about?

    It is true that I am presenting a book, titled: ‘’Vindication of a General’’. The book is about my military career, the intrigues backstabbing for standing for what I believed I was eventually persecuted and kept in prison for over eight years because I opposed a military officer taking over from us in 1999.

    I was charged to court and stood trial for over eight years for an arranged attempted murder of the late Alex Ibru. I was discharged and acquitted in 2008. My acquittal and the situation we find ourselves today as a nation has vindicated me.

    Do you have any plan for peace  resolution foundation?

    I have not thought of setting up a peace foundation or any kind of foundation but it is not impossible that I could set up something in future to assist our young generations.

    You have been silent on national issues over the years…

    I have not really been silent, I have been making efforts to make contacts when necessary. For example, when the Northeast problem was causing us embarrassment, as a former military officer, I met the former President, discussed how the nation was being embarrassed with the performance of the military in the war area. We had a good discussion and I made some recommendations which unfortunately he did not have time to implement because of politics. I have applied in writing to see the present President to draw his attention to areas I feel very strongly need attention in the country at present. I am yet to get response on the application.

    Which areas does the criminal justice system need amendment ?

    In order to dispense justice quickly and fairly, a lot has to be done right, from the investigation of cases to the trial stage. Cases are sometimes delayed due to bad investigation. The attitude of lawyers, corruption in the judiciary, sometimes interference by the state have negative effect on the judiciary.  I am, however, glad that the judiciary itself is awake and is trying to deal with corrupt judges. This will be useful. I also hope that something is done about lawyers who deliberately delay cases by unnecessary adjournment.

    How would you assess the present administration?

    I believe President Muhammadu Buhari meant well for the nation. What I am not sure about is the quality of those working with him, I mean his ministers and personal staff. They do not appear to be in the same boat with the President because a lot of embarrassing situations abound, that showed lack of coordination. For example, the case of the Acting chairman of the Economic and Finanacial Crime Commission (EFCC) Ibrahim Magu. The Department of State Security (DSS) is under the Presidency and one would have thought that they will coordinate issues of national interest, but that is not happening.

    Look at the fight against corruption; to me, the President appears to be alone and on his own. The Senate appears to be indifferent to this. As I understand, many of them have corruption cases with EFCC. I believe that if one is accused of any wrong doing, the right thing to do is allow court process to be completed. Avoiding investigation and trial is not the solution to such accusations.

    As a former Chief of Army Staff, what is your advice on insurgency?

    I believe that the Boko Haram insurgency is being handled well. I congratulate the President on the support he is giving to the Military, by ensuring that they are given the necessary support to fight Boko Haram. I congratulate the Military leadership on doing the nation proud in the fight against Boko Haram. Let’s not forget that insurgency is not a battle you will overcome overnight, it is not a battle won by the military alone. We need to go back to the use of native intelligence where everyone is involved at ward level. Everyone must be involved in information and intelligence gathering to defeat this insurgency.

     What are your regrets?

    I have always done things the way my conscience guides me, so I have no regrets in my life. Once you are guided by your conscience and maintain your integrity, you do not regret anything. I am convinced that I did my best in every responsibility I carried out in my life.

    What is your advice to Nigerians?

    My advice to Nigerians is that we should support the present administration to succeed, love one another, put aside our religious differences because if God wanted the world to be one religion, He had the power to do it. For the youth, they should realise that they are future leaders. They should learn from the mistakes of the elders and avoid such mistakes. They must not allow selfish people who call themselves elders to mislead them in causing problems that could divide this country.

    Nigerians must not forget that we fought an avoidable 30-month war with loss of lives. We must, therefore, ensure that we avoid anything that can lead of war.

  • Ajudua challenges EFCC power to prosecute fraud case

    Lagos lawyer, Fred Ajudua, has challenged the power of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to prosecute him.

    The development stalled his trial before Justice Josephine Oyefeso at the Lagos High Court, Ikeja, on Thursday.

    Ajudua was initially being tried before Justice Kudirat Jose but the case was l transferred to Justice Oyefeso last year.

    The EFCC is prosecuting Ajudua for allegedly defrauding a former Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Ishaya Bamaiyi  (rtd)of $8.4m while both of them were in Kirikiri prison.

    The EFCC had alleged that the defendant and his accomplices approached Bamaiyi in Kirikiri prison and assured him that they would assist him to secure his freedom.

    Ajudue was then facing trial for the attempted murder of the late Publisher of The Guardian newspaper, Mr. Alex Ibru and convinced Bamaiyi they could secure his freedom.

    Ajudua’s co-defendant and a former registrar of the court, Oluronke Rosulu, had opted for separate trial when he failed to appear for trial after several adjournments.

    Rosulu was found guilty of complicity in the fraud and was last year sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo.