NEWS
Court Clears Sen. Rochas Okorocha Of Corruption Charges
Senator Rochas Okorocha has been discharged by Justice Yusuf Halilu of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) from corruption charges brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
This marks the third time that Okorocha has been acquitted by courts regarding allegations of fraud and corruption during his tenure as the governor of Imo State from 2011 to 2019.
On Friday, Justice Halilu dismissed the charges against the former governor, stating that they constituted an abuse of court processes by the anti-graft agency.
The court emphasized that it was inappropriate for the EFCC to repeatedly file similar charges against a defendant in different courts, especially when a competent court had already made a decision on the matter.
It is worth noting that in a previous judgment in 2021, Justice Stephen Pam of the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt declared the EFCC charge against Okorocha illegal, unlawful, null, and void, as it was based on an investigation deemed invalid.
Following the previous ruling, the judge specifically prohibited the EFCC from further prosecuting the former governor for any alleged offenses related to the aforementioned investigation.
However, on May 24, 2022, the commission arrested Okorocha after a siege lasting over six hours at his residence in Abuja.
Subsequently, Okorocha and six others were arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja, accused of embezzling N2.9 billion belonging to the Government of Imo State.
Nonetheless, on February 6, Justice Inyang Ekwo delivered a ruling in which he struck out the charges against Okorocha and the others.
The charges were dismissed for contravening Section 105 (3) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, which grants the Attorney-General of the Federation the authority to recall a case.
Justice Ekwo maintained that the directive issued by the Attorney-General of the Federation in a letter dated September 12, 2022, instructing the EFCC to submit the case file with its comments for consideration and review, was binding on the commission.
The court concurred with Okorocha’s argument that the previous judgment from a court of equal jurisdiction in Port Harcourt, in a case numbered FHC/PH/FHR/165 between Okorocha and the EFCC, still stands. This judgment had restrained the agency from further pursuing the alleged offense.
However, dissatisfied with this outcome, the EFCC approached the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and initiated a fresh set of charges against the former governor.
In response, Okorocha, represented by his lawyer Chief Ola Olanipekun, SAN, raised a challenge against the competence of the charges through an application, asserting that they constituted an abuse of court processes.
On Friday, Justice Halilu delivered a ruling on the application, stating that it was inappropriate for the EFCC to file a case that had already been decided upon by a court of equal jurisdiction.
This was particularly significant since there was a court order preventing the anti-graft agency from prosecuting Okorocha based on an invalidated investigation.
The judge emphasized that the commission’s action of pursuing the same case in three different courts amounted to nothing less than an abuse of court processes.
Justice Halilu acknowledged that the EFCC, as an entity established by law, possesses broad investigatory and prosecutorial powers.
However, the judge emphasized the importance of the commission operating within the boundaries of the law, stating that the EFCC must demonstrate respect for the legal framework it operates under.
The court took into account the available evidence, which indicated that a Federal High Court had previously acquitted Okorocha of fraud and corruption charges filed by the EFCC in 2021.
While acknowledging that the commission acted correctly by appealing the judgment, Justice Halilu highlighted that it was inappropriate for the EFCC to approach another court of equal jurisdiction and file similar charges against Okorocha.
In addition to emphasizing that nobody or agency is exempt from the law, the court offered advice to the anti-graft agency, cautioning them to recognize the importance of bringing an end to litigation.
The court stated that when a case of abuse of court processes is established, the appropriate action is to dismiss the charges.
The court held “Once a case of abuse of court processes is established, the best thing to do is to dismiss the charge; the first defendant is hereby discharged.”
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has criticized the federal government’s plan to secure an additional N1.7 trillion loan through Eurobonds to cover a shortfall in the 2024 budget, describing the borrowing as unsustainable and harmful to Nigeria’s economy.
In a statement shared on Thursday via his X (formerly Twitter) handle, Atiku accused the Bola Tinubu-led administration of burdening Nigerians with debt while failing to provide clear answers about the country’s fiscal challenges.
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He also faulted the National Assembly for enabling what he called a “voracious appetite” for loans.
The former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate expressed alarm over a recent World Bank report ranking Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), calling the development troubling.
“The recent report released by the World Bank, showing Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), is very concerning,” Atiku stated.
He raised further concerns about the government’s decision to benchmark the proposed loan at an exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, despite the Central Bank of Nigeria’s official rate being over N1,600.
“What makes this particular loan proposal even more concerning is that it is benchmarked at the exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, whereas the current exchange rate from the Central Bank of Nigeria stands at over N1,600 to 1 USD,” he said.
Atiku questioned the need for additional borrowing, given the government’s earlier claims of record-high revenue collection.
“In July this year, Tinubu boasted that the FIRS and Customs under his watch had collected all-time high revenues to finance the budget. Why are they still borrowing?” he said
He accused the government of a lack of transparency, describing the borrowing spree as detrimental to Nigerians already struggling under economic hardship.
“There is something that they are not telling Nigerians, even as they are being crushed by a combination of their failed trial-and-error policies and loan rackets.”
Atiku also referenced a report by BudgIT, a budget monitoring group, which criticized the 2024 budget for its inefficiencies.
He alleged that corruption, rather than infrastructure or development needs, was driving the government’s borrowing decisions.
“These loans are powered by corruption and not for infrastructure and development needs. This voracious appetite for humongous loans is deeply concerning,” he said.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s financial history, Atiku lamented the return to significant foreign indebtedness just years after former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration cleared the country’s debt.
“It is agonizing to see that just a few years after the Obasanjo administration took us out of foreign indebtedness, we are today back at the top spot in the same conundrum,” he stated.
He called for a more cautious approach to borrowing, urging the government to prioritize fiscal responsibility and transparency to avoid worsening Nigeria’s economic challenges.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has taken a historic step, issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
The charges include crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committed during Israel’s recent assault on Gaza.
In a detailed statement, the ICC accused the Israeli leaders of “intentionally and knowingly depriving the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity.”
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The ICC’s move marks a significant escalation in international scrutiny of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Netanyahu and Gallant are alleged to have orchestrated policies that caused severe harm to the civilian population in Gaza, leading to widespread condemnation from human rights organizations.
Alongside the charges against Israeli officials, the ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif. Deif has long been a central figure in Hamas’s military operations. Israel’s military claims to have killed him in a July airstrike, although this has not been independently verified.
The warrants highlight growing calls for accountability amid the ongoing conflict in the region. The ICC’s actions are likely to provoke heated debate and may complicate diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the crisis.
With the warrants issued, global attention now turns to how the international community will respond and whether any practical steps will be taken to enforce them.
Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has inaugurated a 12-member committee tasked with recovering government vehicles reportedly in private hands.
The committee, led by Kelly Okungbowa, has been given a two-week mandate to retrieve the vehicles and ensure their return to the state government.
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Speaking during the inauguration ceremony in Benin City, Governor Okpebholo emphasized the importance of accountability in the management of public resources.
He urged the committee to carry out its assignment thoroughly and within the bounds of the law.
In his response, Okungbowa expressed gratitude to the governor for entrusting the team with the assignment, vowing to deliver results within the stipulated timeframe.
“A lot of vehicles used by the past administration are missing, as those in custody of the vehicles have refused to return them,” Okungbowa said.
“The governor deemed it fit to inaugurate us today with a mandate to recover all government vehicles in private hands.”
The committee, which includes representatives from Edo’s three senatorial districts, is set to investigate and recover the vehicles based on credible intelligence already at their disposal.
“We already have vital information regarding some persons still holding government vehicles,” Okungbowa stated. “We will do the job according to the law, and both the government and the people will be satisfied with the outcome.”
He also called on members of the public to assist the committee by providing information about any government vehicles that may still be in private possession.
“We want to appeal to members of the public who might be aware of anyone still keeping government vehicles in their houses to please inform us to enable the committee to recover such for the Edo State Government,” Okungbowa said.
The committee’s vice chairman, Rt. Hon. Victor Edoror, a former Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, will work alongside other members to ensure the success of the initiative. The public can reach the committee at 08110165121.
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