as FG
opposes their bail request
By Ikechukwu Nnochiri ABUJA—–
The
Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki and his Deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, were on Monday,
docked before an Abuja High Court at Jabi over their alleged complicity in
forgery of the Senate Standing Rules, 2015. The two lawmakers took turns and
pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge preferred against them by the
federal government.
They were arraigned alongside former
Clerk of the National Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Abubakar Maikasuwa and his
deputy, Mr. Benedict Efeturi. Shortly after the defendants entered their plea
to the charge marked CR/219/16, the Director of Public Prosecution, DPP, Mr.
Mohammed Diri, notified the court of FG’s counter-affidavit opposing release of
the accused persons on bail. Diri told the court that the counter-affidavit
which was filed Monday morning, was still pending before the court’s registry.
He therefore persuaded trial Justice
Yusuf Halilu to stand-down the matter for an hour to enable the registry to
transmit the process to the court for hearing. Vanguard investigations revealed
that FG, in its counter-affidavit, is seeking remand of both Saraki and Ekweremadu
in custody. Meantime, there is heavy security presence within perimeters of the
court which shares boundary with the Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, where
Saraki is also answering to another 16-count charge bordering on his alleged
false/anticipatory declaration of assets.
Supporters of the embattled
lawmakers thronged the court premises in their numbers to observe the
proceeding. Earlier, armed security operatives barred photo-journalists from
gaining entrance into the court premises, a development that led to protest by
the journalists. It took the intervention of lawyers to persuade the mobile
police men to grant the camera men entry into the premises. Specifically, the
four defendants were alleged to have masterminded the usage of a bogus Senate
Standing Rules, for the July 9, 2015, election through which both Saraki and
Ekweremadu took over the leadership of the Senate.
FG maintained that the defendants
had by their conduct, committed an offence punishable under Section 97 (1) and
364 of the Penal Code Act. The two-count charge which was okayed by the
Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar
Malami, SAN, read: “That you, Salisu Abubakar Maikasuwa, Benedict Efeturi, Dr.
Olubukola Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu, on or about, the 9th of June, 2015, at the
National Assembly complex, Three Arms Zone, Abuja, within the jurisdiction of
this court, conspired amongst yourselves to forge the Senate Standing Order,
2011 (as amended) and you thereby committed the offence of conspiracy, punishable
under Section 97 (1) of the Penal Code Law.
“That you, Salisu Abubakar Maikasuwa, Benedict
Efeturi, Dr. Olubukola Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu, on or about the 9th of June,
2015, at the National Assembly complex, Three Arms Zone, Abuja, within the jurisdiction
of this court, with fraudulent intent, forged the Senate Standing Order 2011
(as amended), causing it to be believed as the genuine Standing Order, 2015 and
circulated same for use during the inauguration of the 8th Senate of the
National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria when you knew that the
said Order was not made in compliance with the procedure for amendment of the
Senate Order.
You thereby committed an offence
punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code Law.”
Vanguard
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