BEVERLY HILLS, November 18, (THEWILL) – The trial of a former Chairman of the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy Regime, Mr. Farouk Lawal, and the committee’s secretary Boniface Emenalo, was Tuesday stalled at an Abuja High Court sitting in Guru District as the presiding judge, Justice Adebukola Banjoko, simply withdrew from the case.
The presiding judge however directed that the case file be returned to the FCT Chief Judge, Justice Ibrahim Bukar, for re-assignment.
Justice Banjoko took over the case from Justice Mudashiru Oniyangi who initially heard the case but later handed it over to Justice Banjoko after he got a promotion to the Court of Appeal.
The duo of Lawan and Emenalo are facing trial over allegation that they received $620,000 bribe from oil mogul, Femi Otedola, in order to remove the names of his companies from those who allegedly defrauded the country under the fuel subsidy regime.
Delivering a short ruling in the case on Tuesday, Justice Banjoko said although the application asking her to disqualify herself had been withdrawn and the Chief Judge had cleared her of the allegation in Lawan’s petition against her, the allegation was a “scandalous challenge” of her integrity.
“In my 17 years on the bench – six years and as a magistrate and 11 years as a judge – I have never been confronted with a scandalous challenge of my integrity,” Justice Banjoko said.
Counsel to Lawan, Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN), who had filed the application dated October 29, asking the judge to quit the case, applied to withdraw the application.
Lawan had also personally petitioned the FCT Chief Judge, accusing Justice Banjoko of likely bias based on an alleged close relationship between her and Otedola.
However, Ozekhome denied knowledge of the petition written by Lawan as he withdrew his own application and pleaded with the judge to overlook the wrong impression, which the application and his client’s petition must have created.
The prosecuting counsel, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN) also apologised on behalf of Lawan and Emenalo as he urged Justice Banjoko to continue with the case.
However, the judge stood her ground as she denied the allegation that she and her family were close to Otedola.
Maintaining that “Justice is rooted in confidence,”Justice Banjoko said since the accused person had first exhibited lack of confidence in her, she would no longer continue to hear the case.
“In the prevailing circumstances, I do find it difficult to continue this case. This case is returned to the honourable Chief Judge for re-assignment,” she therefore ruled.
