New Prosecutor Stalls Justice Yinusa’s Trial for Alleged Corruption

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Justice Mohammed Nasir Yinusa
Justice Mohammed Nasir Yinusa
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New Prosecutor Stalls Justice Yinusa’s Trial for Alleged Corruption

The planned trial of a Federal High Court judge, Justice Mohammed Nasir Yinusa, before a Special Offences Court, Ikeja was yesterday stalled owing to change of counsel by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Justice Mohammed Nasir Yinusa
Justice Mohammed Nasir Yinusa

Justice Yinusa is standing trial alongside Esther Agbor, a staff of Rickey Tarfa chambers, who was accused of paying the sum of N1.5 million into his UBA account before Justice Sherifat Solebo.

Yinusa was also accused of receiving financial benefit from a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Joseph Nwobike, to give favourable decisions on some cases before him.

During yesterday’s proceedings, Yinusa’s counsel, Chief Robert Clarke challenged the new counsel for EFCC, Wahab Shittu, on the application for change of counsel, describing it as “invalid”.

He said the counsel’s application does not have the stamp and seal of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

But Shittu told the court that they had paid for the stamp and seal at the NBA before even filing the application.

“My Lord, the applicant should not be made to pay for the tardiness of the NBA. The Access Bank slip for which the payment was made was attached to the application,” Shittu said.

Justice Solebo, in a short ruling, upheld the arguments of the prosecution, before adjourning the matter till March 9 to hear pending applications bordering on jurisdiction.

In the first count, Justice Yinusa is charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice by engaging in constant private and confidential telephone communications with Tarfa, SAN during a period he presided over two of the senior advocate’s suits.

In the second count, Justice Yinusa is charged with corruption for allegedly receiving N1.5 million paid to him by his co-defendant, Esther Agbor in order to give decisions in favour of the Chambers of the Law Firm of Rickey Tarfa.

The EFCC also alleged that Justice Yinusa received N750,000 from Mr. Nwobike.

Esther Agbo is charged with offering gratification of NI.5 million to Justice Yinusa to induce him to give decisions in favour of the law chambers.

Both defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.

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