Judge threatens to throw out Shehu Sani ‘bribery’ case over EFCC’s distorted publication

Inyang Ekwo, judge of a federal high court has threatened to throw out the bribery suit preferred against Shehu Sani, a former senator, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

At the court session on Tuesday, A.A Ibrahim, Sani’s counsel, drew the court’s attention to a publication by the EFCC on its Twitter page.

Ibrahim said what was reported by the EFCC was not what transpired in court.

Responding, the judge said: “The court of public opinion is not a court of coordinate jurisdiction. It is this court that has the last say at the end of this matter. Not the court of public opinion.”

“From the beginning of this case, I have said the record of this case are public records and it can be obtained by anybody including the media,” the judge said.

Addressing the prosecution counsel, the judge warned that there will be consequences if the proceeding of the court is misrepresented.

“I don’t want to hear about distorted publications again,” he said.

“If I hear about it again, I’m going to throw away your case and you can take it to whoever you like.”

Afterwards, Bako Aliyu, the 10th prosecution witness, concluded his testimony.

Earlier under cross-examination by the defence counsel, Aliyu who is an investigator with the EFCC said the commission retrieved from MTN, the call log showing conversations between the former senator and the complainant, Sani Dauda, owner of ASD Motors.

The call log was however not tendered before the court as evidence.

When asked if the EFCC solicited the support of the police to investigate the case considering the fact that Ibrahim Magu, former acting chairman of the EFCC was also accused, the witness responded in the negative.

After the 10th witness was discharged from the witness box, the prosecution counsel attempted to call another witness but was stopped by the judge.

The judge insisted that Ekele Iheanacho, the EFCC counsel who has been handling the matter, must continue with the case.

“Where is Mr Iheanacho? He should come back and do this case. I’m not going to allow you. I don’t want my proceedings to have controversies at the end of the day,” he said.

The judge fixed May 24 for continuation.

The EFCC is prosecuting the former senator on a two-count charge bordering on influence peddling and obtaining the sum of $25,000 from Dauda to allegedly bribe the EFCC to shield him from investigation.

He was also reported to have said he could assist Dauda in influencing the outcome of his case using his connections with Ibrahim Muhammad, chief justice of Nigeria (CJN).