The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has accused another Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Joseph Nwobike, of paying N750,000 into the account of Justice Mohammed Yunusa of the Federal High Court.
This claim was contained in a counter-affidavit filed in opposition to a further and better affidavit filed by Rickey Tarfa (SAN).
Justice Mohammed Idris yesterday in his verdict stressed that Tarfa could adduce new evidence through the further affidavit deposed to by a lawyer, Mohammed Awwal Yunusa.
In the further and better affidavit, the lawyer said the bank account, which EFCC said Tarfa used to bribe Justice Yunusa, belongs to him, and not to Justice Yunusa as EFCC alleged in its counter-affidavit to Tarfa’s suit.
The lawyer said Tarfa gave him N225,000 on January 7, 2014 to help finance his masters in Law degree.
But EFCC has alleged that Tarfa was not the only SAN to pay money to Justice Yunusa’s account.
An EFCC operative, Moses Awolusi, said there were new revelations about judges being allegedly induced through “a network of senior lawyers”.
“Investigation has also shown that as part of this chain of fraud, Mr. Joseph Nwobike (SAN) also transferred the sum of N300,000 to Hon. Justice H.A Nganjiwa.
“Investigations further revealed that Hon Justice M.N Yunusa as part of this scheme of fraud also received the sum of N750,000 from Mr. Joseph Nwobike SAN and Co,” the EFCC investigator said.
However, Nwobike, in a statement to the anti-graft agency, which was also attached to the affidavit, explained that the money was not meant to bribe the judge.
“Sometime ago, Justice Yunusa requested to see me. When I got there, he pleaded with me to assist him with some funds since his mother was under dialysis.
“He stated that her kidney had parked up and that he needed assistance to cure her. I felt sorry for him. I told him that I did not have funds, but that I would assist him when I had some money.
“I requested for his account details which he obliged me. When I got some money about two weeks after, I gave the money to him and he thanked me when he saw me along the corridor of the court of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi,” Nwobike said.
