Judge withdraws from Saraki’s case over alleged N2 Billion bribe

Owing to allegation that N2 billion bribe was traced to his bank account, Justice Abdul Kafarati of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, yesterday, disqualified himself from a suit seeking to stop the ongoing trial of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, before the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT.

Though the suit was scheduled for judgement, Justice Kafarati, however, said he was left with no option than to hands off the matter after his attention was drawn to two online publications alleging that he had been compromised by the Senate President.

The judge bemoaned that his integrity was gravely “maligned” in two separate reports carried by Sahara Reporters and Naij.com, which he said claimed that the N2 billion was traced to his account by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. Justice Kafarati said: “The two publications made allegations against my person, alleging that I have been compromised with N2 billion.

They also alleged that I am known in the legal cycle for being susceptible to corruption. “What this has done is to put my integrity to question. I, however, regard the publishers as people of unsound mind. They know that what they said is not true.

They derive pleasure when they malign the integrity of a judicial officer. “It is unfortunate that we don’t have the appropriate laws to take care of this. As it stands, I am caught between two devils.

If the judgement goes in favour of Saraki now, they will say that I have been compromised, on the other hand, if it goes against him, they will say I have been intimidated.

“In light of the allegation, the right and appropriate thing to do is to disqualify myself and return the case-file to the Chief Judge for re-assignment to another Judge.” Meanwhile, the decision resulted to a war of words between Saraki’s lawyer, Dr. Kayode Oluyode, and EFCC lawyer, Mr. Adebisi Adeniyi.

Whereas Oluyode fingered EFCC as the brain behind the publications, Adeniyi maintained that it was improper for him to make such “spurious allegation” without proof.

“Your lordship has taken the right steps. It is, however, unfortunate that the applicant is the one to suffer. It is equally bad that the EFCC has gone to this level. We know that it is behind the publications,” Oluyode insisted.

Saraki had approached the high court, praying it to declare that the chairman of the CCT, Justice Danladi Umar, is not fit to preside over the 13-court charge preferred against him by the Federal Government.

He told the court that Justice Umar was still being investigated by the EFCC over allegations bordering on corruption.