The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Lateef Lawal-Akapo

  • Bamaiyi: Ajudua challenges EFCC’s right to prosecute him over $4.8m fraud

    A one-time Lagos socialite, Fred Ajudua, on Monday in Lagos challenged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over a 4.8 million dollars fraud charge it slammed against him.

    Ajudua, who challenged the right of the commission to prosecute him for defrauding a former Chief of Army Staff, retired Lt.-Gen. Ishaya Bamaiyi, is also challenging the jurisdiction of an Ikeja High Court to try the case.

    The EFCC had accused Ajudua of defrauding Bamaiyi while both were in prison custody in 2004 for different offences.

    EFCC said Ajudua had approached Bamaiyi, who was facing trial for the attempted murder of Mr. Alex Ibru, the late publisher of the Guardian Newspaper, and convinced him that he could help to secure his freedom.

    According to the commission, Ajudua received 4.8 million dollars from Bamaiyi under the guise that the money was the legal fees for the law firm of Chief Afe Babalola and Co.

    Ronke Rosulu, a court registrar and Ajudua’s alleged accomplice, who helped him funneled the funds from the prison, was sentenced in a separate trial on Dec. 21, 2005 to 10 years in prison by Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo.

    During Monday’s proceeding, counsel to Ajudua, Mr. Norrison Quakers, in an application dated Jan. 6 challenged the jurisdiction of the court to hear the case.

    He also urged the court to quash the charge brought against Ajudua by the EFCC.

    “We have filed an affidavit and a reply in points of law challenging the jurisdiction of this court to hear this case.

    “The law provides also provides that an information in this charge can only be filed by the Attorney-General of the state and not the EFCC,” he said.

    Responding, counsel to the EFCC, Mr. S.A. Atteh, said there was a judgment of the Court of Appeal upholding the right of the EFCC to prosecute the case.

    “We have filed a counter-affidavit dated Feb. 9 urging the court to allow the judgment of the Court of Appeal on whether the EFCC has a fiat to prosecute this case.

    “I urge the court to dismiss the application of the defence and call the defendant to take his plea,” he said.

    Justice Oyefeso adjourned the case to March 30 for ruling.

     

  • EFCC seeks bench warrant against Cross Country boss

    EFCC seeks bench warrant against Cross Country boss

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday asked a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja for a bench warrant for the arrest of the Cross Country boss, Chief Bube Okorodudu.

    The request followed the failure of the defendant to appear in court for the second time.

    At the resumed hearing before Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo, counsel to the EFCC Emmanuel Jackson asked the court to issue a bench warrant on the defendant.

    EFCC said for the second time, Okorodudu failed to appear to take his plea on the charges against him.

    Counsel to Okorodudu Chief Robert Clarke (SAN) objected to the application for a bench warrant.

    He said there was a subsisting application by his client challenging the jurisdiction of the court on the charges against him by the EFCC.

    Clarke argued that the proper procedure was for the court to resolve the issue of jurisdiction before ruling on EFCC’s application for a bench warrant.

    Justice Lawal-Akapo adjourned the matter till April 8.

     

     

    He submitted that the court could not make a pronouncement on a case where its jurisdiction was being challenged.

    After listening to counsel, Justice Lawal-Akapo directed the two lawyers to provide the court with the relevant authorities to assist him in his ruling.

     

     

  • Court adjourns Babalakin, others applications to dismiss fraud charges

    Court adjourns Babalakin, others applications to dismiss fraud charges

    An Ikeja High Court on Monday adjourned the hearing of an application filed by the Chairman of Bi-Courtney Ltd., Mr Wale Babalakin, to March 14.

    Babalakin, in the application filed before Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo, asked the court to dismiss the N4.7 billion fraud charge preferred against him and four others.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had charged Babalakin and the other defendants to court.

    They are facing a 27-count charge of conspiracy, retention of proceeds of a criminal conduct and corruptly conferring benefit on account of public action.

    Babalakin’s co-defendants; Alex Okoh, Stabilini Visioni Ltd., Bi-Courtney Ltd. and Renix Nigeria Ltd, had also filed similar applications challenging the court’s jurisdiction to entertain the charges.

    They also challenged the competency of the charges, arguing that the EFCClacked the power to prosecute them before a state high court without a valid fiat.

    During Monday’s proceedings, the EFCC counsel, Mr Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), told the court that he sprained his ankle last week, in an accident.

    Jacobs said he could not undertake the business of the day (hearing of arguments on the applications), due to the unfortunate incident.

    He, therefore, prayed the court for an adjournment.

    On his part, Babalakin’s counsel, Dr Abiodun Layonu (SAN), urged the court to allow the defence to adopt their written addresses in support of the applications.

    After listening to the requests, the judge held that he was inclined to grant the adjournment on the basis of Jacobs’ injury.

    “If you have an injury just on your fingertip, it will affect the whole of your system completely,” Lawal-Akapo said.

    He, therefore, adjourned the matter till March 14.

     

  • Akingbola to be re-arraigned March 24

    Akingbola to be re-arraigned March 24

    An administrative mix-up yesterday forced a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja, presided over by Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo, to adjourn the re-arraignment of a former Managing Director of defunct Intercontinental Bank Plc, Mr Erastus Akingbola, till March 24, 2014.

    Justice Lawal-Akapo fixed March 24, 25 and 27 for the re-arraignment and commencement of Akingbola’s trial, following the mix-up that led to the omission of his case in the course list for yesterday’s proceedings.

    Akingbola and his co-defendant, Bayo Dada, were present in court but the judge said the matter was not listed.

    Counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Godwin Obla, admitted that it was not proper to arraign the defendants since the case was not listed for the day.

    Akingbola and Dada were charged with alleged stealing of N47.1 billion belonging to the defunct Intercontinental Bank.

    They are facing a 22-count charge of stealing and obtaining money by false pretences.

    Akingbola and Dada had pleaded not guilty to the 22 count charges of stealing preferred against them by the commission, when the case began.

    The two were arraigned on May 31, 2011 before Justice Habeeb Abiru but the judge was elevated to the Court of Appeal and the matter was re-assigned to Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo.

    The defendants were re-arraigned on February 26.

    Their case file was again transferred to Justice Lawal-Akapo, following the recent changes in the Lagos Judiciary: Justice Onigbanjo was moved to the Commercial Division of the court.

  • Alleged theft: Akingbola’s case transferred to another judge

    Alleged theft: Akingbola’s case transferred to another judge

    The trial of a former managing director of Intercontinental Bank, Erastus Akingbola and his associate, Bayo Dada, was on Thursday transferred to a new judge.

    The Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Ayotunde Phillips, re-assigned the case to Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo for trial.

    This followed the transfer of the former trial judge, Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo, to the Commercial Division of the Lagos High Court, Ikeja.

    The case was previously re-assigned to Onigbanjo, after the first trial judge, Justice Habeeb Abiru, was elevated to the Court of Appeal on November 2.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that this is the second time the case will be re-assigned since the defendants were arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    The defendants are standing trial on a 22-count charge of conspiracy and stealing of N47.1 billion belonging to the Intercontinental Bank (now Access Bank Plc).

    NAN reports that the defendants were first arraigned on May 31, 2011 before Abiru on the same charges.

    They had pleaded not guilty to the charges and the judge granted Akingbola bail in the sum of N100 million with two sureties in like sum.

    He also granted Dada a N50 million bail with two sureties in like sum.

    The trial, which was at the stage of adoption of final written addresses by the parties, was aborted as a result of Abiru’s elevation.

    Consequently, Akingbola and Dada were re-arraigned before Onigbanjo on February 26, 2012 and the matter started afresh.

    They had again pleaded not guilty to the charges and were granted bail with the terms earlier given to them by Abiru.