The Federal Government has officially brought a 15-count corruption charge against a Justice of the Federal High Court in Abuja, Adeniyi Ademola.
Ademola, one of the seven Justices whose residences were raided in October by the Department of State Services, DSS, was charged alongside his wife, Olabowale, who is also the Head of Service of Lagos State.
In the suit filed at the FCT high court in Abuja on Monday, by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, Ademola and his wife were accused of “corruptly” receiving a total sum of N248,101,300 and $520,000 as gratifications from various law firms and others between 2013 and 2016.
Count one and two of the charge alleged that the accused persons criminally conspired “to receive and/or obtain gratification contrary to sections 8(1) and 26(1) (c) of the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission Act, 2011 land punishable under Sections 8(1) (iii) of the same law”.
The charge sheet indicated that Ademola’s wife received the payments through her Guaranty Trust Bank account for onward payment to the her husband.
The Most prominent of the law firms from which Ademola and his wife allegedly received gratifications was Joe Odey Agi Associates from whom the following payments were made to the justice: N40 million between February 20 and 21, 2014 and another N30 million between March 11 and 26, 2015.
Ademola was also said to have received $520,000 from Johnson & Johnson Solicitors on May 6, 2013.
The judge was also accused of receiving the sum of N6m from Oshodi, Oshodi & Co between February 25, 2015 and April 16, 2015
The prosecution also accused him of receiving N55,650,000 from G.T.J Ademola & Co between January 5 and June 23, 2016.
He was also accused of receiving N40m from Vertice Solutions Ltd. on February 20, 2014.
The prosecution also accused him of receiving N47.6m from Acardian Energy Services Limited on February 20, 2014.
He will also be facing a count in which he was accused of receiving N34.08m from Omotayo Babafemi Aliyu between February 20 and 21, 2014.
He was also accused of receiving N4.7713m from Lawan Sulaiman between February 21 and November 7, 2014.
Recall that the government had already on November 8, brought similar corruption charges against another of the Justices arrested by the DSS.
Sylvester Ngwuta, of the Supreme Court was accused of money laundering and passport violations.