Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja, yesterday, fixed December 12 to deliver a ruling on the admissibility of six different statements, which implicated a former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Mohammed Bello Adoke, in alleged $1.1b Malabu Oil fraud.
The judge fixed the date after taking arguments from Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), who stood for Adoke in the trial and Mr. Ofem Uket, who argued the case of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The six statements in dispute were made on different days by an oil magnate, Aliyu Abubakar, who is standing trial alongside Adoke in the alleged multi-billion dollar oil fraud.
Olanipekun, while adopting his final address in the trial-within-trial on the admissibility of the statements, told the court that the disputed statements were made in gross violation of Section 17 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015.
While canvassing that the statements be thrown out for being worthless, Olanipekun argued that the EFCC coerced the maker of the statements to implicate his client in the alleged fraud at all costs.
Among others, the senior lawyer said EFCC’s blunder during investigations was monumental and has no precedent in law.
The maker of the disputed statements had, in the course of his trial, along with Adoke, alleged that five EFCC operatives, who subjected him to interrogation, caused him to make the implicating statements under duress.
He alleged that he was asked to implicate former President Goodluck Jonathan and Adoke, so as to be set free.
