Judge, Wife Charged For Collecting N600m Bribe

Judge, Wife Charged For Collecting N600m Bribe

His grandfather, Justice Adetokunbo Ademola was a former Chief Justice of Nigeria, who had a popular street in Victoria Island, Lagos and another highbrow street in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, named after him due to his integrity and services to Nigeria.  His father, Justice Adenekan Ademola also served in the reverred bench. This family name and generational integrity is now dangerously at stake the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami SAN on Monday formally filed a 15 count criminal charge of bribery against a Federal High Court Judge, Justice Adeniyi Francis Adetokunbo Ademola and his wife Mrs. Olabowale Toluwatope Ademola.

Justice Ademola 63, is alleged to have  collected bribes from different litigants to the tune of N597 million in connivance with his wife, Olabowale 59, who also allegedly collected parts of the bribes on behalf of her husband. Justice Ademola is the  grandson to the first Nigerian indigenous Chief Justice of the Federation, Sir Adetokunbo Adegboyega Ademola. His father Justice Adenekan Ademola was also a judge.

Justice Ademola was one of the judges whose house was invaded by the operatives of DSS. He was detained and later released . Upon his release, he alleged that his ordeal was orchestrated by the Minister of Justice, Mr Malami who had an issue before his court when he was a judge at Kano. Malami was also based in Kano as a legal practitioner .

The criminal charge was filed at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and signed by Hajara Yusuf, a Principal State Counsel, on behalf of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Malami SAN.

The duo are alleged to have committed the offences between Febuary 2014 and June 2016 contrary to Section 8 of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission Act , 2011 and Section 115 of the Penal Code Law .

The defendants allegedly received N30, 000, 000:00 from Messrs Joe Odey Agi Associates between 11 th and 26 th March 2015 and another N40 million between 20 th and 21 February 2014.

Specifically, Justice Adeniyi Ademola was alleged to have received N30, 000, 000 from Messrs Joe Agi Associates between 11 th and 26 March 2015 and his wife also received N30, 000, 000 from Messrs Joe Agi Associates.

According to the prosecution, Justice Adeniyi Ademola on 6th May 2013 received $520, 000:00 from Messrs Johnson & Johnson Solicitors and another N6 million between 25 th of February and 16 th April 2015 from Messrs Johnson & Johnson Solicitors.

Justice Adeniyi Ademola was alleged to have accepted N55, 650, 000:00 from Messrs G.T. J Ademola & Co between 5 th January and 23 rd June 2016.

It was further alleged that Justice Adeniyi Ademola on 20th February 2014 accepted N40, 000, 000: 00 from Vertice Solutions Ltd as well as accepting another N47, 600, 000: 00 from Acardian Energy Services Ltd .

The prosecution further alleged that Justice Adeniyi Ademola on 20 February 2014 accepted N34, 080, 000:00 from Omotayo Babafemi Aliyu and N4, 771, 300:00 from Lawan Suliaman between 21 st February and 7th November 2014.

Justice Adeniyi Ademola was also alleged to have accepted N30, 000, 000:00 from Messrs Joe Odey Agi Associates between 20th and 21 st February 2014.

Justice Adeniyi Ademola was one of the serving Judges who was arrested on 8th October, 2016 by the Department of State Services (DSS). No date has been fixed for trial as the case is yet to be assigned to a Judge.

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