A Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja has been told how some telephone
conversation recorded exposed the alleged lies told by the embattled
Federal High Court judge, Rita Ofili-Ajumogibia to the investigating
officers during investigation.
The Investigation officer was attached to the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission, EFCC, the agency which is prosecuting her for alleged
corrupt practices. Justice Ajumogobia is standing trial along with a
former EFCC prosecutor, Godwin Obla.
When the investigation commenced and the
investigators sought her attention to respond to some allegations,
Justice Ajumogobia lied that she was on medical admission. But unknown
to her, the investigation had checked her to confirm the veracity or
otherwise of her claim.
The recordings of the conversation were played today in court. At
today’s proceedings Mr. Abdullahi Lawal, an EFCC, operative, told a
Lagos High court judge, Justice Hakeem Oshodi that Justice Ajumogobia
lied about the sum of 20 million paid into her bank account as proceeds
from sales of a land. The investigator, Mr. Lawal while being led in
continuation of evidence by Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo of the EFCC’s legal
department for the third time testified that findings from the defendant
indicated that the payment which she mentioned was a payment for sale
of her land in Abeokuta to two persons, one Haruna Abdullahi and one
Tola were false.
According to the witness, “During the course of investigation, we
discovered that sometimes in February 2015, the sum of 8 million naira
was paid into her Lordship account, Nigel and Colive Company account.
“She was confronted about the payment where she mentioned that the money
was for the sale of her land at Abeokuta, that it was sold to two
people: Haruna Abdullahi and one Tola.”
He added that further investigation revealed that Haruna was a Bureau
De Change operator in Lagos and there was no transaction between the
two, that is, the 1st defendant and the operator. “Whereas Tola was a
building contractor that handled the building of her residence at Park
View Estate.”
He explained further that there was no transaction between them as
regards the said sum. Lawal’s evidence also included two audio
recordings of telephone conversation between him and the embattled
judge, played before the court, stating showed that when he initially
tried to invite the judge on the payment of the said sum into her
account, the investigator alleged that the judge lied she was ill and
that she was in an hospital at Ikoyi but investigation showed that her
claim was also false.
In one of the audio recordings played, the prosecution witness confirmed
to the court that the voice of the caller and receiver were his and the
judge.
Mr. Lawal: Hello Ma, are you still at the hospital?
The embattled judge: Yes, I am.
Mr. Lawal: Right now, we are here at the hospital and you are not there.
The embattled judge: Huh, are you there?
Mr. Lawal: Hello, Hello, Hello,.. In explaining further what transpired
between them, the witness said, “As at the time this conversation
ensued, I was at Gold Cross Hospital, Ikoyi.” “What happened was that
Honourable Ajumogobia phone went off when I was calling and the sound
seized.” He buttressed that the judge was not in the hospital and that
was why he put across to her that call. He explained that what prompted
his visit to the hospital was as a result of the first phone
conversation he had with her, which partly went thus:
The embattled judge: I have been on admission at Gold Cross.
Mr. Lawal: When do we expect you in our office?
The embattled judge: Let me get discharge, I’m not running away. I am
not as sick as I think I am. Can I reach you on this line? Do you want
to come there?
Mr. Lawal: No.
The embattled judge: What is your name?
Mr. Lawal: Abdullahi Lawal.
The prosecution witness added that based on this conversation, he went
to the hospital to confirm the truthfulness of her claim but she was not
there.
But while leading his witness, Oyedepo attempted to seek for amended
charge when it appeared that Ajumogobia’s lawyer, Mr. Robert Clarke
opposed the line of evidence claiming that the prosecutor derailed from
the charge before the court and brought in evidence on another sum of 12
million naira against Clarke’s client.
Oyedepo led his witness to testify that one Omale Musa, an Assistant
Controller- a Customs officer working at Abuja office also paid 4
million, 3 million and 5 million naira totalling 12 million naira into
Ajumogobia’s account. Meanwhile, the second defendant, Mr. Obla has
again asked for permission of the court to travel to America between now
and February.
Justice Oshodi who was visibly uncomfortable with four weeks absence
however granted Obla access to his travel document in order to procure
visa for his trip and ordered that it should be return to the court
Registrar on or before 5th March and appear for further proceedings
adjourned till 23rd February, 2018 for continuation of evidence-in-chief
of the witness in the defendants’ trial.
It would be recall that Ofili-Ajumogobia is standing trial alongside Mr.
Obla, SAN and former prosecutor of the EFCC. They are jointly charged
with two counts of perverting the course of justice. Obla is facing
trial on two counts charge of offering gratification in the sum of N5
million to Ajumogobia, a public official while serving as a Federal High
court judge. The duo denied all the charges against them.
