Justice Adeniyi Francis Adetokunbo Ademola of the federal High Court and his wife, Mrs. Olabowale Toluwatope Ademola, were this morning arraigned before an Abuja High Court over alleged corrupt practices. Justice Ademola is alleged to have collected bribe from lawyers and others while dispensing his duties as a judge.
His wife is alleged to have been used as a proxy to sometimes collect the bribes. According to the 11 count charge sheet before the court, Mrs Ademola is alleged to have accepted a N30m cash gift on behalf of her husband from a law firm known as Messrs Joe Agi and Associates.
The couple in count one were accused of conspiring, between March 11 and 24, 2015, to receive gratification from Messrs Joe Agi and Associates through their accounts 206/174191/2/0 and 201/110160/1/0 domiciled at GTBank Plc, and committed an offence contrary to Section 26(1)(c) of the Corrupt Practices and other related offences Act 2000. Mrs. Ademola is accused in counts two, three and four of receiving N10m gratification thrice from Messrs Joe Agi and Associates through her GTBank account on behalf of her husband between March 11 and 24, 2015, an offence contrary to Section 8(1)(a) of Corrupt Practices and other related offences Act 2000.
Justice Ademola is accused in counts five and six of “dealing with property subject matter of an offence” by transferring N85m and N90m on February 24, 2014, through his account 286/174191/2/0 in GTBank to Franco Dan Parker, “which forms the proceeds of an unlawful act and thereby committed an offence contrary to Corrupt Practices and other related offences Act 2000. The judge is accused in count seven of attempting, on February 21st 2014, to obtain gratification of N25m from Sani Shaibu Teidi “as a motive for showing favour in the exercise of your official functions, contrary to Section 118(b) of the Penal Code Act”.
In count eight, Justice Ademola is accused of receiving gratification of “a BMW saloon 320i, valued at N8m from Joe Odey Agi, through your son, Ademide Ademola, an act contrary to Section 8(1)(a) of the Corrupt Practices and other related offences Act, 2000. In count nine, 10 and 11, he is accused of illegally possessing firearms and ammunition (one Avar Magnum 608, Avar Magnum 6284) and 35 rounds of live ammunition (catridges) without valid licences an offence contrary to Section 3 of the Robbery and Firearms (Special provisions) Act 2004.
