Forgery: Saraki, Ekweremadu get summon to attend trial

Forgery: Saraki, Ekweremadu get summon to attend trial

Tuesday, June 21, 2016 8:28 pm


Bukola Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu

Bukola Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu

All is now set for arraignment of Senate President Bukola Saraki and his Deputy, Ike Ekweremadu in court next Monday on two count charges of criminal conspiracy and forgery.

The arraignment of the two presiding officers of the Senate alongside presiding officers of the Senate in the forgery case are the outgoing clerk of the National Assembly, Salishu Maikasuwa, and the Deputy Acting Clerk of the National Assembly, Ben Efeturi was stalled on Tuesday as all the accused persons were absent in court as a result of failure to serve them the charges.

David Kaswe, the prosecution counsel told the court the Federal Capital Territory, FCT High Court presided over by Justice Yusuf Halilu in an oral application that effecting personal service of the charge on the defendants has proved very difficult.

The prosecution also deposed an affidavit to show efforts it made to furnish the defendants with copies of the charge against them.

Kaswe therefore urged the court to invoke sections 123 and 124 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, and order that the charge be served on the defendants by substituted means.

Justice Halilu acceded to the request and ordered that the summons be pasted on the notice board of the National Assembly to compel the four accused persons to be present in court at the next adjourned date of 27 June.

In fulfillment of the order, News Agency of Nigeria reports  that  Court summon inviting Saraki over alleged forgery of Senate Standing Orders was pasted on the notice board in the National Assembly on Tuesday afternoon.

The High Court summon with suit number CV/219/16 was pasted in the White House of the National Assembly complex.

The  summon also invited the Deputy President of the Senate, Ekweremadu, Maikasuwa and Efeturi as defendants.

The summon read: “By oral application dated 21st June, 2016 moved by D.E. Kaswe, Principal State Counsel Federal Ministry of Justices in this case praying the court for:

“An order of this Honourable Court granting leave to the complainant/applicant to serve criminal summon on the defendants by substituted means to wit by pasting it at the Notice Board of the National Assembly Three Arms Zone, Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the notice was removed shortly after it was pasted.


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