Hearing in the ongoing trial of Joseph Nwobike, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, continued on July 4, 2017, before Justice Raliat Adebiyi of the State High Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, giving a blow-by-blow account of how the senior lawyer allegedly offered gratification to judicial officers and perverted the course of justice.
At the resumed sitting on Tuesday, counsel to EFCC, Rotimi Oyedepo, via a projector mounted within the courtroom showed details of the SMS text messages between Nwobike and one Baruwa, a judicial officer.
While addressing the court, Oyedepo stated that Nwobike received an SMS text message, where Baruwa had expressed his gratitude for the special package sent to him by Nwobike through one Kelani.
Oyedepo said: “You received and read a text from Mr. Baruwa, saying, ‘Thank you, Sir. Kelani gave me your special package.
“On June 3, 2015 at 10.10a.m., you received a text from Mr. Baruwa, saying ‘Good morning, Sir. I just got a golden handshake from Mr. Felix Sir.
“Exhibit D2 is a statement of accounts from your law chambers. On January 17, 2011, you transferred N50, 000 to Mr. Baruwa.”
Oyedepo also showed the court how Nwobike, in another SMS text message, on November 27, 2015 had given a deputy registrar of the Federal High Court, simply identified as Jide, the details of a case involving one Godwin Ewekolu and the Inspector General of Police.
Nwobike was said to have expressly told Jide, in the text message, the urgency of assigning the matter to Justice Kurya, who was then a judge of the Federal High Court.
The prosecution counsel further told the court that while a company named Brokeyard Marine Oil and Gas Services Limited was under investigation by the Commission, Nwobike was said to have forwarded details of the suit between the company and Skye Bank Plc to Jide.
However, in his response, Nwobike denied the allegations, saying the messages were confirmation text messages.
He said: “On whether I knew that Brokeyard Marine Oil and Gas Services was under investigation by the EFCC, I don’t know because I don’t work for the EFCC.”
Nwobike was also said to have sent a text message to Jide about a criminal charge filed by one of his clients, Dr. Femi Thomas, who was allegedly caught at the Murtala International Airport with $200million.
In the text message, Nwobike had asked Jide to ensure that the matter was assigned to Justice Seidu of the Federal High Court.
While addressing the court further, Oyedepo said: “This suit was eventually assigned to Justice Seidu.”
The case has been adjourned to July 12, 2017 for continuation of trial. - EFCC
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