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Tag: SAN

  • SAN seeks equal application as lawyer backs Executive Order 6

    A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Mr. Jibrin Okutepa (SAN) has welcomed the Executive Order 06 issued by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    He urged law enforcement agencies to ensure its equal application without fear, favour or ill-will.

    A former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Legal Adviser Mr. Victor C. Nwaugo also backed Executive Order 6.

    Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami (SAN), had said the essence of the Executive Order 6 was to ensure that assets connected to persons under investigation or trial were not dissipated.

    Okutepa said Nigeria was not the only country where that kind of executive order was being issued.

    He recalled that in the United Kingdom, there is the Unexplained Wealth Order, which is applied to those whose assets appear to be more than their legitimate income.

    Okutepa said: “I think the essence of these orders is to ensure that corruption is dealt a fatal blow in our land. I think the greatest enemies of Nigeria are Nigerians not the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) or All Progressives Congress (APC).

    “The primitive acquisitions of material wealth in Nigeria and the unbridled manner it is done and being done should worry any right thinking person. The primaries of political parties have come and gone but we all saw what aspirants went through.

    “We should be worried that people buy their way to power. The rate of corruption and corrupt influences in Nigeria require extraordinary measures to deal with.

    “Those talking about human rights of those who have sentenced us to economic death sentence should appreciate that when those people were killing us vide corruption, they did not think of our own human rights to good road, health care and other social amenities.

    “Nigerians must see that corruption is the greatest business enterprise in Nigeria. We all hate it but love its practice. For me any measure that will bring corruption to an end is good for Nigeria.

    “Corruption is a heavyweight wrestler. It cannot be fought with kids’ glove. We need necessary process to fight it and I believe the Orders of government are necessary instruments to fight it.

    “As Nigerians, we should insist on even application to all and sundry without fear or favour affection or ill-will. There must not be selective applications.”

    Nwaugo said the order was merely a presidential policy directive issued towards curbing corruption.

    “It should be borne in mind that, in course of the campaign for the election of Muhammadu Buhari as the President of Nigeria, he made fight against corruption one of the cardinal principles of his administration, which Nigerians overwhelmingly endorsed by voting him into power.

    “That the 1999 constitution guarantees freedom of movement and fair trial of a Nigerian citizen does not guarantee absolute freedom or innocence of every Nigerian.

    “The constitution qualifies such freedom and fair trial under Sections 35 (1) (c) and 36 (5) of the constitution.

    “Presumption of innocence does not qualify as absolute innocence hence once an accused is under investigation, his right to freely move may be temporarily hampered within the realm of the security agency concerned or even before the court if charged.

    “In fact, once a person is standing trial, his freedom of movement is temporarily hampered pending the trial and determination of his case as his right to movement will be subjected to the discretion of the court concerned,” Nwaugo said.

    The lawyer recalled that America had refused to allow journalists interview security agents who interrogated the perpetuators of bombing of twin pillars of America, as it was classified as a matter of security.

    “Extra ordinary situation requires extra-ordinary measure. In Nigeria, right before our very eyes few individuals have cornered by fraudulent means, the resources and  wealth that would have librated Nigeria from the shackles of poverty.

    “Contracts running into billions would be awarded for construction of roads, the roads would not be constructed, but the money released and shared by few while the majority will be made to suffer the effect of failure to construct such roads. Some lose their goods or lives for few wicked fraudsters to smile to the bank.

    “There is the argument that Order 6 of 2018 seeks to usurp the functions of the Judiciary particularly because some of the presumed persons to be affected by the Order are already standing trial before the court and therefore subject to the discretion of the court in determining whether they can travel out of Nigeria or not.

    “That argument cannot hold water in the face of the case of Barr. Ikenga Imo & Anor vs. President of Federal Republic of Nigeria & Anor, FHC/ABJ/CS/740/18where the court affirmed our position that Executive Order 6 of 2018 is not self executory but that concerned security agency shall seek the discretion of court in the temporary seizure or restriction of movement of the citizen concerned.

    “In other words, the security agency concerned in the ongoing cases before the court can only restrict the movement of any accused person or temporarily seize the suspected corruptly acquired property after obtaining an Order of court to that effect.

    “I have carefully perused the contents of Executive Order 6 of 2018, I have also compared same with the constitutional provisions guaranteeing fundamental right of Nigerians, I have also looked at Sections 5 and 15 (5) of the 1999 constitution which empowers the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria to exercise Executive Powers of the Federation and abolish all corrupt practices.

    “I have come to the immutable conclusion that Preservation of Assets Connected with Corruption and other Related Offences Order 2018 is a necessary instrument that will enable the relevant agencies wage war against corruption in Nigeria,” Nwaugo said.

  • And Wole Olanipekun, SAN issues a rebuttal

    AS we were about to put this column to bed, an early morning call came from legal luminary and redoubtable advocate, Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN.  Wole is an old friend and former comrade in arms of this columnist at the student union barricades against military dictatorship in the early seventies. He was a dynamic and thorough secretary of the UNILAG Students Union. Wole was particularly irked by a release making the round which he said was a clumsily glued together rehash of old lectures and interviews laced with malignant fiction from the authors’ imagination for the purpose of mischief and malice. According to the senior advocate, he has never commented on President Buhari’s speech and the language of the release was too unrestrained, too unrefined and uncivilized to be associated with him. When he was asked to issue a rejoinder, Wole demurred, saying that he had already issued too many rejoinders to fake news in recent times.

  • How to enhance investigation, by SAN

    Centre for Socio-Legal Studies (CSLS) President Prof. Yemi Akinseye-George (SAN) has called for the establishment of a network of investigators to enhance their efficiency.

    He said through such as network, investigators can share ideas and build their investigative capacity.

    Akinseye-George spoke during a national training of investigators, organised by the Federal Ministry of Justice in collaboration with CSLS.

    He emphasised that cases must be carried out by sound investigators for effective prosecution, especially on high-profile cases.

    “The solution to some of these challenges of prosecution is that we have to create a network of investigators across the country to build the capacity of investigators who can share ideas and use the law more effectively,” he said.

    According to him, such collaboration will enhance investigators’ understanding of the law guiding their operations.

    Akinseye-George noted that without an effective investigation, there can be no successful prosecution.

    He said even before a suspect is arrested, detailed investigation must have been done.

    “We cannot have effective criminal prosecution without sound investigation. We also need investigators to work hand in hand with the prosecutors.

    “So the government needs to pay attention to the work investigators do, because cases are delayed or trials cannot go on smoothly if investigators are not well catered for, in terms of training and capacity building, so that they can produce good case files, which prosecutors can use in the court.

    “Cases are delayed and people are being detained unnecessarily when their cases cannot go smoothly in the court.

    “That is why a government that is prioritises the fight against corruption through the rule of law mst ask: Who are the investigators? What are the problems they have? Do they have intellectual resources, material, and logistic resources to carry out their assignments?

    “Also, are they being monitored? Is their work being evaluated?Do they have necessary incentive, particularly because the people you are prosecuting are often high profile people, who have a lot of resources and they can also use this resources to prevent effective investigation.”

    He said the purpose of the meeting was to look at the work of investigators, their challenges and how they could work with their counterparts.

    “Our investigators and prosecutors have the capacity, but there is room for improvement. Of course, the agencies have won a number of cases but we still believe there is big room for improvement and that is why we most continue to improve.

    “We shall continue to call the attention to the challenges. Having prioritised the fight against corruption, government must sharpened its tools of fighting corruption, which includes investigators, prosecutors and the witnesses. Without proper attention given to them, we may not go far in the fight against corruption. That was why in many occasions, before the EFCC take suspects to courts they must have concluded 60 per cent of their investigation.

    “This is a good practice which should be adopted by all other agencies. So if the investigators are able to do detailed investigation, before bringing the suspects, many of the cases will not go court because the suspects will easily own up and be ready to settle out of court.”

  • 31 lawyers elevated to SAN

    The Legal Practitioners‘ Privileges Committee (LPPC) yesterday elevated 31 legal practitioners to Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SAN).

    Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, Mrs Hadizatu Mustapha, stated this yesterday.

    She said: “The Legal Practitioner` Privileges Committee at its 133rd plenary held July 12 has elevated thirty-one legal practitioners to the inner bar.

    “The rank (SAN) is warded as a mark of excellence to members of the legal profession who have distinguished themselves as advocates and academics’’, she said.

    The new appointees are: Madu Abuchi, Essien Udom, Prof. Oluyemisi Bangbose, Metong Urombo, Prof. Waha Egbewole, George Igbokwe, Olubowale Taiwo, Oluwole Iyamu, Adekole Olawoye, Stephen Adehi and Olusuen Akinbiyi.

    Others are: Emmanuel Achukwu, Kenneth Ahia, Loius Alozie. Prof. Isa Chiroma, Prof. Olanrewaju Fagbohun, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, Johnson Ojo, Wole Agunbiade, Olayode Delano, Tanimu Inuwa, Sonny Wogu and Prof. Offorinze Amucheazi.

    The rest are: Adewale Atake, Ikhide Ehighelua, Mosediq Kazeem, Edmund Obiagwu, Prof. Muhammed Mustapha-Akanbi, Cosmas Enweluzo, Isiaka Mudi as well as Olabode Olanipekun.

    Mustapha said the swearing-in ceremony would hold during the commencement of the new legal year of the Supreme Court on Sept. 24.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that a total of 106 applied with 83 of them entering as practicing lawyers and 23 as academics.

    Out of the two females that entered into the race, one was successful.

     

  • ‘How SANs can aid justice administration’

    The Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BOSAN) has tasked senior lawyers on the need to play a greater role in justice administration and nation building.

    BOSAN, which gave the charge on Thursday at its maiden annual lecture in Lagos, noted that by virtue of their status, Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) had a duty to provide leadership in and out of court.

    Participants at the event included Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Justice Walter Onnoghen; Supreme Court and Court of Appeal Justices; state Chief Judges, judges, Attorneys-General and Commissioner of Justices, among others.

    Guest speaker, Professor Fidelis Oditah, Queen’s Counsel (QC), SAN, spoke and chaired a panel on ‘The evolving role of senior advocates in the administration of justice and nation building’.

    Panelists included Justice Emmanuel Ayoola, JSC (retd), Chief Folake Solanke, SAN, former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice Chief Bayo Ojo, SAN and Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President Mr. A.B Mahmoud SAN, who was represented by Chief Anthony Idigbe SAN.

    Others at the event included former NBA President Chief Wole Olanipekun, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, Dr. Muiz Banire, SAN, Mr. Olanrewaju Onadeko, SAN, Professor Ernest M. Ojukwu, SAN, among others.

    Justice Onnoghen, who praised BOSAN for organising the event, said the judiciary looks up to SANs “because of the position of trust you occupy”.

    He spoke on ‘How members of the Inner Bar can support the dispensation of justice and justice sector reform.’

    Onnoghen added: “The public have confidence not only in the Courts, but in the members of the Bar, who are the bridge between the Courts and the public. Therefore, it is of necessity to come together to address the challenges you encounter and to incorporate your contributions towards the justice sector reforms, thereby expediting speedy dispensation of justice.”

    Oditah noted that the legal system is bedevilled with challenges around administration of justice at all levels of decision making, weak case management, inefficient court registry and inability to bring criminals to book.

    Nevertheless, he tasked SANs to be the voice of reason and moderation, role models to and groom young lawyers, uphold integrity in and out of court and ensure the prestige of their ranks as senior advocates.

    He noted in particular that, like it happens with QCs in England, the role of a SAN should go beyond advocacy.

    Oditah said: The senior advocates should provide a pool from which judges of superior courts in Nigeria can and should be appointed. In the United Kingdom, over 99 per cent of judges of superior courts are appointed from the ranks of QC.

    Solanke, first female SAN, urged lawyers to offer informed commentary on issues of national importance, such as the abduction of Leah Sharibu and the remaining Chibok girls.

    She reasoned that such comments can help to provide direction for public policy and keep government on its toes.

    In his closing remarks, Prof Fabian Ajogwu SAN, thanked the Chairman, BOSAN Committee on Leadership Fund, Chief Felix Fagbouhungbe, SAN, “for his leadership and wonderful insights,” as well as other members of the BOSAN Subcommittee on Continuing Legal Education “for their tremendous contributions and administrative role in planning this event.”

  • ‘SANs committed to justice administration’

    • Osinbajo, Onnoghen for BOSAN lecture

    The Body of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (BOSAN) has said it is committed to speedy administration of justice.

    The group said while a few senior lawyers use technicalities to cause trial delays, it is wrong to believe that all SANs are culpable.

    BOSAN Sub-committee on Continuing Legal Education chairman, Prof Fabian Ajogwu (SAN) said SANs are stakeholders in the nation’s development and are aware of their responsibilities.

    He spoke at a briefing on the maiden BOSAN Annual Lecture, which will hold on Thursday at the Intercontinental Hotel, Victoria Island, with the theme: The evolving role of Senior Advocates in the administration of justice and nation building.

    Asked if the theme was chosen in reaction to criticisms that some SANs deliberately cause trial delays, Ajogwu said: “The message of Christianity was still delivered even though 1/12th of the disciples were seemingly corrupt.

    “In every society, you may have that 1/12th, but that doesn’t mean that the rest 11 should be painted with the same brush.

    “This is part of what the general public needs to know – that decency, excellence and hard work and responsibility to clients and to society above all continue to be the hallmark of the Senior Advocate of Nigeria, who is sworn to not only uphold the rule of law, but to assist the courts.”

    Ajogwu said it was important for the public to know that “it is an insignificant fraction of the whole” that abuse judicial process.

    According to him, the lecture would explore SANs’ role and what is expected of them in justice administration and nation building.

    He said: “As provided for in the Legal Practitioners Act, the rank of SAN is conferred on persons who have, by excellence and experience, distinguished themselves in the legal profession.

    “SANs, upon attainment of this rank, assume a higher role in fostering the rule of law, administration of justice and nation building.

    “Like flowing water, nations are in a continuous state of evolution driven by many factors including technology. The laws of these nations guide and mold it.

    “For the laws to serve their purpose and meet with extant realities, there is the need for the continuous development of legal advocates as a class of professionals directly responsible for developing strong institutions and nation building.

    “It can, therefore, be seen that the traditional role of lawyers as representatives of their clients’ interest has evolved into a higher level of responsibility of being ministers in the temple of justice and stakeholders in the development of the nation.”

    Ajogwu said the annual lecture was initiated by BOSAN with support from key industry players to deliver valuable insights on the evolving leadership role of SANs in the practice of law and the development of the society.

    “Participants would leave the lecture better informed on the roles and expectations of the Senior Advocates of Nigeria in the administration of justice and nation building,” he said.

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) will deliver the keynote address. Chief Justice Walter Onnoghen will chair the event, with Prof Fidelis Oditah (SAN, QC) as the guest speaker.

    Justice Amina Augie of the Supreme Court, former Supreme Justice Emmanuel Ayoola (rtd), first female SAN Chief Folake Solanke, former Attorney-General of the Federation Chief Bayo Ojo (SAN) and Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN) will speak at the event.

    Ajogwu added: “This year’s annual lecture is intended to foster discussions among members of the Bench and Bar on how SANs can maximise their privileged position and wealth of knowledge as a tool in the administration of justice in today’s ever changing and evolving modern society.”

  • Awomolo, SAN loses Mum

    The mother of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Asiwaju Gboyega Awomolo, Madam Felicia Anike Awomolo is dead.

    The deceased, 96, died last Thursday while waiting for her breakfast.

    Awomolo, in a statement described his mother as a prayer warrior, who never compromised her faith.

    “She never missed the last 10 years Christmas celebration with her children and grandchildren. What gladdens my heart is the way she departed peacefully and joyfully as she had always wanted to without any pain. No doubt, her prayers have spiritually affected my life tremendously. She will be sorely missed,” he said.

  • SAN seeks inclusion of class action procedures in court rules

    A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr Uche Val Obi, has called for a review of courts rules to institutionalise class action procedures.

    He said practice directions that would align with class action rules should also be considered.

    Obi urged the Council of Legal Education to incorporate the study of class action procedure into the Nigerian Law School civil procedure curriculum.

    Leaders of arbitration and alternative dispute resolution (ADR) institutes, he said, should review their rules to accommodate emerging trends in class action.

    The Managing Partner of Alliance Law Firm, spoke during the presentation of his book: Class Action in Nigeria at the firm’s maiden lecture and luncheon with the theme: Contemporary Corporate Governance issues in Nigeria.

    Obi believes that class action mechanisms would improve access to justice as more people could seek redress “by just falling within the class of persons affected by a particular act of wrongdoing.”

    According to him, the book was written to reduce an “obvious deficiency in this area of law”.

    “This book is more of a wake-up call for all hands to be on deck for the development of a class action procedure in Nigeria than an analytical book.

    “By putting the instrumentality of class action as a viable legal tool for resolving mass wrongs in Nigeria into serious public discourse, I think that a principal object of the book has been realised.

    “What is then left is for all stakeholders in the legal profession to adopt a coordinated strategy to ensure that it works to the benefit of our society,” he said.

    Obi said the Alliance Lecture Series was initiated as the firm’s corporate social responsibility project envisioned to stimulate public discourse on national issues and to assist in policy formulation and implementation processes.

    The event, chaired by Prof Pat Utomi, had Justice Ejembi Eko who represented Chief Justice Walter Onnoghen as the special guest of honour.

    It featured a panel discussion by Prof Fabian Ajogwu, Seplat Chief Executive Office Austin Avuru, as well as representatives of the Nigerian Stock Exchange Chief Executive Officer Oscar Onyema, Budget Office Director-General Ben Akabueze and Securities and Exchange Commission Acting Director-General Mary Uduk. Prof Gbolahan Elias (SAN) reviewed the book.

    Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRCN) chairman Mr Adedotun Sulaiman, who was the lead speaker, said a revised Corporate Governance Code, which he described as flexible, less prescriptive and principles-based, would soon be made public.

    “We know that we need to make our country more investor-friendly. We were clear that the code we’ll come up with will not be as prescriptive as the past one, and definitely less business antagonistic and therefore won’t be as contentious as the last attempt was,” he added.

    According to Sulaiman, the revised code would be released first as an exposure draft, and would be codified after stakeholders input.

    He said it would be less controversial compared to the defunct three-in-one National Code of Corporate Governance (NCCG) issued in October 2016 by former FRCN Executive Secretary Jim Obazee.

    The former code triggered uproar due to the tenure limit stipulated for leaders of not-for-profit-bodies.

    The Federal Government on October 28, 2016 suspended the code and inaugurated a new board chaired by Sulaiman, with Mr Daniel Asapokhai replacing Mr Obazee.

    Sulaiman said the code would be releases in phases: the first phase would involve a code for public interest entities, which covers corporate organisations; the second code would be for the public sector; the third would be for the not-for-profit sector.

    “We’ll do it in a way that it won’t be controversial and will be easily accepted. The whole idea of going into the code process was to rebuild public confidence and trust and key into the current climate of easing doing business in Nigeria and promote investment.

    “We put together a team of about 15 very eminent Nigerians and set them the task of coming up with a revised code, which they have done a fantastic job of it. We have a draft code, which is undergoing some kind of review before we send it out to the public as an exposure draft.

    “We wanted the code to be friendly and not be too hard to comply with. In not making it very prescriptive, we also wanted to create room for some flexibility. One of the major criticisms of the old code was that it was very expensive to comply with – with minimum number of directors prescribed, etc.

    “It’ll be a principles-based code. We’ve come up with 28 corporate governance principles that we think is good practice to embrace, with over 200 practices that will give effect to the principles.

    “We adopted an apply-and-explain model – applying the principles and explaining which of the practices you have used to give effect to the principles. So, as long as you’re an organised business, those principles are universally applicable no matter the size of the organisation,” Sulaiman said.

  • Effective legal practice can aid economy, says SAN

    A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Arthur Obi Okafor, has said legal practice  needs to be transformed.

    According to him, an effective legal system would rub off on the economy.

    Okafor spoke on the sidelines of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Young Lawyers Forum (YLF) summit at the Nigerian Law School in Lagos. Its theme was: Transforming legal practice for young lawyers: the option of information and communication technology.

    He said: “When you’re talking about transforming legal practice for young lawyers, it is a little bit circumscribed and does not really portray where we’re going. We need to transform legal practice not just for young lawyers, but for all lawyers in Nigeria.”

    The senior lawyer urged young lawyers to develop their knowledge of the law, learn new skills and make good use of technology.

    He said: “It is today’s lawyers that will lead the legal profession tomorrow. Whatever knowledge they have today will shape the development of legal industry in Nigeria.

    “The theme of the conference is just a pointer that legal practice in Nigeria needs to be transformed. When legal practice is transformed, it will impact positively on all aspects of our economic, social and political life.”

    According to Okafor, ICT would be key in the transformation, adding that lawyers must be ready to operate in line with international standards to compete globally.

    “To transform legal practice, we’re looking at the option of ICT. The world is a global village and we have continued to develop. We cannot rely on obsolete ways of life.

    “We must move forward to meet the best international standards. Communication and technology drive the economy. This is a digital age,” Okafor said.

    He praised the Bar association for its efforts to equip lawyers, saying: “The NBA is doing everything to bring lawyers to that desired status, to be able to compete globally.”

    Other dignitaries at the event were Justice Raliat Adebiyi, who represented the Chief Judge of Lagos; NBA President Abubakar Mahmoud (SAN) and Mrs Amina Oyagbola, who gave the keynote speech.

    Mahmoud said while ICT has its advantages, it could also have “disastrous consequences” such as when social media is used to promote hate speech.

    He urged young lawyers to get familiar with the new NBA constitution and attend this year’s NBA annual general conference in Abuja.

    Justice Adebiyi said lawyers have limitless employment opportunities as long as they acquire the relevant skills and knowledge.

    “As lawyers, you can work anywhere. You can decide to work for an organisation, a bank or practice in court,” she said, adding that there was no shortcut to hardwork.

    Mrs Oyegbola urged the young lawyers to acquire ICT skills and keep learning about new developments.

    She said: “As lawyers, you must be aware of the ICT tools because it is a prerequisite for today’s legal practice.”

    According to her, ICT enhances easy storage of materials, simplifies law firm management, enables lawyers to work smartly, eases legal research, boosts global networking, and speeds up adjudication.

    Mrs Oyegbola said merely having access to ICT and being knowledgeable in it was not enough, as more was needed.

    “ICT cannot make you a successful legal practitioners as it is just a tool, but honesty, integrity, hardwork, creativity and innovativeness, being an active listener, being curious and helpful will make you successful. Also, be open to opportunities and ideas,” she said.

    Other topics discussed were: Building a 21st Century law firm: challenges and opportunities for the millennial lawyers and opportunities for young lawyers in Fintech.

    YLF Chairman Mr Wada Ahmed Wada said the forum was organised to help young lawyers “improve on ICT, be e-friendly and know how to respond to clients when faced with challenges inherent in the legal profession”.

    “There is need for us to reflect on the ongoing reforms in the communication sector of the economy,” he said.

    Also at the event were Lagos Court of Arbitration President Mr Yemi Candide-Johnson (SAN), Mr Wokemi Esan (partner, Olaniwun Ajayi LP), Hamid Abdulkareem (Partner, Aluko & Oyebode) Desmond Ogba (Partner, Templars) and Abiodun Oyeledun (Partner, Details Solicitors), among others.

  • N11bn fraud: Court adjourns Shema’s case until june 12

    A Katsina High Court on Wednesday adjourned until June 12 the N11billion fraud case filed against Ibrahim Shema, former governor of Katsina State, to enable his counsel peruse the report that indicted him.

    The court adjourned the case to enable the defence counsel study report of the Committee on Local Government Finances, which indicted the ex-governor of misappropriating N11billion.

    The lead defence counsel, Joseph Daudu, SAN, had said that they want to see the court follow due process.

    He said that during the last adjourned date, they requested for the report, that indicted Shema and three others.

    Daudu said that they didn’t hear from the prosecution until May 28, 2018, which was a public holiday.

    He explained that their expectation was that they would be served with the report in good time to enable them go through it and compare it with the one before the commission of inquiry.

    He urged the court to give them adequate time to study the report.

    In his submission, the prosecution counsel, Olatoke Olukayode, SAN, argued that the report was submitted to the commission of inquiry and a copy served on the defence.

    He further said that the document was not a motion that would entitle them to react within 48 hours.

    Olukayode also said that public holiday would not affect reading of public document.

    He urged the court to refuse the application and allow the prosecution to call its witness to give evidence.

    In his ruling, Justice Ibrahim Bako, adjourned the case until June 12,  to enable the defence counsel go through the report.

    Other defendants in the case are: Former Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Sani Makana, former Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government Affairs, Lawal Rufai and the ex-ALGON Chairman, Lawal Dankaba.