Justice Rita Ajumogobia of the Federal High Court was on Wednesday, re-arraigned before Justice Mohammed Liman on charges of money laundering by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
The Commission has however, withdrawn the name of a senior advocate of Nigeria, Chief Godwin Obla, who had earlier been charged alongside Justice Ajumogobia, now the only defendant in the amended charge.
Accordingly, she was re-arraigned on a 15 counts charge bordering on money laundering and breach of public trust after counsel to the EFCC, Mr. Suleiman Suleiman applied to the court to withdraw Obla’s name, a request that was granted by the court.
Justice Ajumogobia, however, pleaded not guilty to all the charges and the prosecution applied for a trial date, to enable it present its witnesses before the court.
But defence counsel, Mr. Mobolaji Kuji, urged the court to allow the defendant continue on the terms and conditions of bail earlier granted her by Justice Rilwan Aikawa, before whom Justice Ajumogobia had earlier been arraigned.
In a ruling, Justice Liman ordered that the defendant continues on the bail earlier granted, and adjourned the case till April 21 and April 28 for trial.
The EFCC had on April 18, 2019, arraigned Ajumogobia before Justice Aikawa on an 18-count charge bordering on breach of trust, false statement and unlawful enrichment. In the amended charge, the defendant was alleged to have committed the offence on or about July 11, 2014 in Lagos
Justice Agumojobia was accused by the EFCC of indirectly concealing a sum of N12 million in the Diamond Bank account of Nigel & Colive Ltd opened and operated by her, an act, the Commission alleged, she ought to have reasonably known to be proceeds of an unlawful act of criminal breach of trust.
