Nigerian Court Okays Trial Of Senator Ugbane, Elumelu And Others

HONOURABLE NDUDI ELUMELU

Abuja (THEWILL) - Justice Abimbola Banjoko of an Abuja High Court, Tuesday threw out an application filed by a serving senator, Nicholas Ugbane seeking to end the N5.2 billion naira corruption and embezzlement charges against him and other accused persons.

Nigeria’s anti-graft agency, the EFCC had detained and charged Senator Ugbane, Honourables Ndudi Elumelu, Paulinus Igwe, Mohammed Jibo, who are all members of the federal legislature, and some senior ministry of power executives for their roles in the N5.2 billion naira rural electrification contract scam. The charges range from theft, breach of trust, criminal conspiracy and misappropriation of public funds.

Justice Banjoko in refusing to grant the application promised an accelerated trial saying, “Criminal charge is still an allegation that will have to go the full length of legal battle to be determined. The issue of immunity as provided in section 3 of the Legislative Proceeding Act will be ironed out at the appropriate time, therefore the course of justice would be best served if the trial is allowed to continue.”

The trial of the accused, who have since been released on bail will begin on the 21 and 22^nd of January 2010.