EFCC RE-ARRAIGNS JUSTICE AJUMOGOBIA, OBLA SAN DISCHARGED

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has re-arraigned a Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia, on allegations of unlawful enrichment and money laundering.

Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia is presently taking her plea before Justice Mohammed Liman on an amended 15 count charge dated March 2nd.

Before her re-arraignment, counsel to the EFCC, Suleiman Suleiman applied to the court to withdraw the name of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Godwin Obla who had earlier been charged alongside Justice Ajumogobia.

The court granted the request and Obla was accordingly acquitted and discharged. This paved the way for the re-arraignment of Justice Ajumogobia as the sole defendant in the amended charge.

In the first count, the EFCC claims that “Hon. Justice Rita Ngozi Ofili Ajumogobia on or about the 11th day of July 2014 in Lagos indirectly concealed the total sum of N12million in the Diamond Bank Account of Nigel & Colive Limited, a sum she reasonably ought to have known forms part of proceeds of an unlawful act…and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2a) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011 as amended and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same act.

As of the time of this report, the 15 counts are still being read to the judge.

More to follow