EXTRA: 30 senators defy court order to give up their seats at Saraki’s ‘forgery’ trial

Yusuf Haliru, justice of the federal capital territory (FCT) high court, Abuja on adjourned for 10 minutes, the alleged case of forgery against Senate President Bukola Saraki, and Ike Ekweremadu, deputy senate president, owing to the congestion of his courtroom.

Haliru, the judge presiding over, met a packed courtroom — to his displeasure — and he then ordered the court registrar to “reorganise” the place.

He also ordered non-lawyers to give their seats to lawyers present at the court.

But senators who accompanied Saraki and Ekweremadu did not budge; only journalists heeded the order as the registrar zeroed in on them to enforce it.

Saraki, Ekweremadu, Salisu Maikasuwa, former clerk of the national assembly, and Benedict Efeturi, his deputy, are facing charges of alleged criminal conspiracy and forgery of the senate standing rule‎s, 2015, brought against them by the federal government.

Count one of the charge reads: “That you Salisu Abubakar Maikasuwa, Benedict Efeturi, Dr. Olubukola Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu on or about the 9th of June, 2015, at the National Assembly Complex, Three Arm Zone, Abuja within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired amongst yourselves, to forge the Senate Standing Order, 2011 (as amended) and you thereby committed the offence of Conspiracy, punishable under Section 97 (1) of the Penal Code Law.”

Count two reads: “That you Salisu Abubakar Maikasuwa, Benedict Efeturi, Dr. Olubukola Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu on or about the 9th of June, 2015, at the National Assembly Complex, Three Arm Zone, Abuja within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with fraudulent intent forged the Senate Standing Order 2011 (as amended) causing it to be believed as the genuine Standing Order, 2015 and circulated same for use during the inauguration of the 8th Senate of the National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, when you knew that the said Order was not made in compliance the procedure for amendment of the Senate Order, you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code Law.”‎‎