EFCC Slams 14 Corruptions Charge Against Judge Cleared By NJC

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has slammed 14 charges against a Federal High Court judge, Hyeladzira Nganjiwa, who was cleared and reinstated by the National Judicial Council last week.

The charges were filed less than 48 hours after the Presidency vowed to prosecute all the judges that were reinstated by the NJC.

The EFCC accused Justice Nganjiwa of receiving over $260,000 through his bank account between 2013 and 2015, claiming that the judge could not explain the source of the funds.

The commission also accused the judge of receiving N8.6m from unknown sources within the same period.

The anti-graft agency said the sums did not correspond with the judge’s salary.

The alleged offenses are in contravention of Section 82(a) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State No. 11, 2011

One of the charges read in part, “That you, Hyeladzira Ajiya Nganjiwa, between January 18 and December 16, 2013, in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, being a judge of the Federal High Court, did enrich yourself with an aggregate sum of $144,000 through your account number 328446178210 domiciled in Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, so as to have a significant increase in your assets that you cannot reasonably explain the increase in relation to your lawful income.”

Another charge read,

“That you, Hyeladzira Ajiya Nganjiwa, between January 6 and November 17, 2014, in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, being a judge of the Federal High Court, did enrich yourself with an aggregate sum of $102,000 through your account number 328446178210 domiciled in Guaranty Trust Bank Plc, so as to have a significant increase in your assets that you cannot reasonably explain the increase in relation to your lawful income.”

It was learnedEFCC that the EFCC might also arraign Justice Terseer Fishim of the Industrial Court, Uwani Abba-Aji of the Court of Appeal and Musa Kurya of the Federal High Court soon.

Meanwhile, the EFCC has also slammed four charges against a suspended judge, Mohammed Yunusa, for allegedly collecting bribe from Mr. Rickey Tarfa (SAN), who is currently facing trial.

The commission accused the suspended judge of having unethical telephone conversations with lawyers and also receiving money from them after which the judge allegedly ruled in their favor.

The telephone conversations had already been put in evidence.

One of the charges read in part, “Yunusa Mohammed Nasir, between February and September 2015, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court being a public official to wit: a judge of the Federal High Court, attempted to pervert the course of justice by engaging in constant private and confidential telephone conversations with Rickey Tarfa (SAN), counsel for the applicants in Suit No FHC/L/CS/714/2015 between Mr. Adewale Adeniyi v EFCC and 2 others ii) Suit No FHC/L/CS/715/2015 between Rena Prestige Industries Limited and Anor v EFCC and two others, iii) Suit No FHC/L/ CS/716/2015 between Hair Prestige Manufacturing Nigeria Ltd. and three others during the period you presided over the said suits as judge of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi.”