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| Muiz Banire, SAN |
Agents of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
(EFCC) currently investigating cases of judicial corruption have told
SaharaReporters that their review of banking and other financial
documents discovered that Muiz Banire, the National Legal Adviser of the
All Progressives Congress (APC), paid N500, 000 to one of the judges
under investigation.
EFCC agents said their forensic scrutiny of some judges’ bank
accounts revealed suspicious payments made to numerous federal judges,
including the one made by Mr. Banire.
The agents disclosed that several of the judges have been questioned
by the anti-corruption agency. They added that some of the answers
provided by the judges were at odds with bank statements where
investigators detected a series of suspicious transactions involving
senior lawyers.
Yesterday EFCC agents invited three of the lawyers to the agency’s
offices for questioning. Our sources revealed that the agency has
scheduled at least 25 more lawyers to come in for interrogation in
relation to the active investigation.
Among Federal justices who have so far been questioned are Uwani
Abba-Aji of the Appeals Court, James Agbadu-Fishim of the Industrial
Court, Mohammed Yunusa of the Federal High Court, Nganjiwa Hyledzira of
the Federal High Court, and Musa Kurya of the Federal High Court.
Another Federal High Court judge, Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia, was traced to a
Lagos clinic where she falsely claimed she was admitted before she
turned herself in last weekend.
Mr. Banire has not been invited by the EFCC and SaharaReporters could
not confirm if and when he would be summoned. However, three senior
lawyers grilled yesterday included Paul Usoro, a lawyer to Senate
President Bukola Saraki, Gani Adetola-Kaseem, and Felix Fagbohungbe. Mr.
Usoro allegedly made five deposits into the account of the James
Agbadu-Fishim of the Industrial Court.
EFCC agents disclosed that, when asked why he made the deposits, Mr.
Usoro claimed they were for four burials in the judge’s family, naming
the deceased as the judge’s father, mother, mother-in-law, and
father-in-law. He reportedly told EFCC agents that the fifth payment was
to support the judge in any future funeral activity in the judge’s
family.
Investigators told SaharaReporters that Mr. Fagbohungbe cooperated
with the investigators until he was asked to read his statement before
its formal adoption by investigators. He reportedly requested for more
paper, and while investigators went to fetch the paper, he reportedly
crossed out his initial statement and attempted to destroy it before it
was wrested from him.
EFCC investigators say they would likely arraign three of the judges
next Wednesday. They revealed that the case files of Justices Rita
Ofili-Ajumogobia, Mohammed Yunusa, and James Agbadu-Fishim were ready
for trial.
Meanwhile, a senior lawyer, Niyi Akintola, has denied information
circulating in the media that he was summoned by the EFCC regarding
allegations that he bribed some judges. He denied involvement in any
cases of bribery of judges, and insisted that EFCC agents had yet to
invite him. He added that he was not involved in defending any judges
before the National Judicial Council.
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