Court Convicts Senior Advocate, Nwobike, Of Justice Perversion

SAN Joseph Nwobike

A Lagos High Court has convicted Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Joseph Nwobike, of 12 counts  on allegation of inducement to pervert the cause of justice.

Justice Raliat Adebiyi acquitted him on five counts of giving gratification and one count of making false statement.

Justice Adebiyi has stood down the case for sentencing.

Nwobike was first arraigned on five count charges on March 9, 2016 by the EFCC, which was later amended the charges on two different occasions, each time leading to the re-arraignment of the SAN.

The last amendment to the charges saw Nwobike re-arraigned on February 8, after which the lawyers canvassed their final arguments.

In the charges, EFCC had claimed that Nwobike offered N750,000 and N300,000 gratifications to Justices Mohammed Yunusa and Hyeladzira Nganjiwa, respectively both judges are federal high court judges.

Counsel for the EFCC, Mr Oyedepo, says the money was allegedly meant to prevent the cause of Justice which is section 97 (3) of the criminal law of Lagos state.

Canvassing final arguments Nwobike’s lead counsel, Wale Akoni (SAN), had urged the court to discharge and acquit his client, contending that the EFCC failed to substantiate its allegations against him.

Akoni said contrary to the claim by the EFCC, the N750,000 that Nwobike gave to Justice Yunusa was not a bribe but “for the specific purpose of helping the (sick) mother of the gentleman.”