NJC tenders petition against Ademola in court

Justice Ademola and his wife, Olabowale at Abuja court

Abuja – The National Judicial Council on Wednesday tendered the petition it received against Justice Adeniyi Ademola from a litigant in an FCT High Court. Ademola was among the seven Justices in the sting operations carried out by the Department of State Services (DSD) on Oct. 8 and Oct. 9. 

He is standing trial alongside his wife Olabowale and Mr Joe Aji (SAN) on a 16-count of criminal conspiracy to receive gratification in various ways. The offences contravened Section 8(1)(a) of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Act, 2000. On the resumed hearing, Mr Eugene Odukwu, Director of Administration in the National Judicial Council (NJC), tendered a copy of the petition filed by Mrs Fatima Shaibu against Ademola. The NJC is an executive body established by Section 153 of the 1999 Constitution as amended to enforce discipline among judicial officers. Odukwu also tendered a certified true copy of the proceeding of the Council arising from the petition and their report. Odukwu is fourth in the 14 prosecution witnesses that the prosecutiing counsel, Mr Segun Jegede, intended to call to prove his case. All the defence counsel did not object to the documents tendered.

Also, Ojima Etuh, a research assistant in the Federal High Court who worked under Ademola in his court that she had never received any gratification from anyone on behalf of Ademola. Etuk said under cross examination Ademola’s counsel Onyechi Ikpeazu that she never paid any proceeds of any gratification to his principal’s account. She said that Ademola presided over anti terrorism case against Sanni Shaibu Teadi, which led his wife Fatima to petition the NJC. Etuk said that Teadi allegedly forged birth certificate to perfect bail condition when cross examined by Mr Jeph Njikonye, counsel for Aji. She also said that the case was later dismissed by NJC. The fifth witness, Christie Ende, Deputy Registrar, Litigation, Federal High Court, Abuja, also tendered some documents which were not objected to by the defence. The sixth prosecution witness, Mr Malik Babatunde of Guaranty Trust Bank could not tendered the document from the bank due to objections from all the defence counsel. Ikpeazu, Chief Robert Clarke (SAN) and Njikonye counsel to the defendants all argued that the witness was not front loaded in the prosecution’s proof of evidence. Jegede submitted that the prosecution has met the requirements of Section 379 of ACJA The judge, Justice Jude Okeke, said “ considering the fundamental nature of the case, the court will give considered ruling on the matter“ Okeke adjourned the case till Jan. 30 for the ruling on the tendering of the document and continuation of trial. (NAN).