A pension funds thief, Shaibu Teidi, who is standing trial with others for stealing nearly N20 billion practically sent himself to jail Monday as he tied the trial judge’s hands from hearing his bail application, leading to his indefinite remand in Kuje prisons.
Teidi, director of pension accounts in the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, is being prosecuted along with UdusegbeEric Omoefe and their companies by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for defrauding the Head of Service pension office to the tune of N18.3 b.
The twenty two count charge against them allege obtaining money by false pretence, conspiracy to commit fraud and concealing the illicit origin of stolen pension funds and they had been remanded inKuje Prisons since June 7 pending hearing of their bail applications.
However at the resumed hearing Monday, Justice Adeniyi Ademolasaid he could not rule on Teidi’s bail application because he had petitioned Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, alleging that the court was biased in the handling of his case.
The trial judge averred that by law, “when there is allegation of bias against a judicial officer, a matter can’t proceed, all proceedings has to be suspended until the allegations are cleared.”
To the shock of Teidi and his counsel, Sunday Ameh JusticeAdemola adjourned the case sine die, (indefinitely).
Ameh said he was stunned by the development as he did not know that his client had written such petition to the CJN.