(EFCC Press Release) The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Friday, June 23, 2017, arraigned a Federal High Court judge, Justice Hyeladzira Nganjiwa, before Justice Adedayo Akintoye of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Igbosere, Lagos on a 14-count charge bordering on unlawful enrichment and giving false information to the EFCC.
Justice Nganjiwa is facing trial for failure to disclose the source of the sum of over $260,000 that he allegedly received through his bank account between 2013 and 2015.
He also allegedly received the sum of N8.6 million from unknown sources within the same period.
During the proceedings, Justice Akintoye ruled on the preliminary objection to the charge.
The accused, through his counsel, Chief Robert Clarke, SAN, had filed an application challenging the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the case.
The defence further stated that only the National Judicial Council, NJC, has the power to deal with the matter.
However, Justice Akintoye dismissed the application on the grounds that it lacked merit.
” The notice of preliminary objections is hereby dismissed, “he said.
The judge further ruled that the high Court of Lagos had jurisdiction to entertain the matter, despite the fact that the defendant is a judicial officer of Federal Government sitting in the Federal High Court, Asaba division.
Counsel to the defendant, Clarke, also told the court that the prosecution failed to attached the title “Honourable Justice” to his client’s name.
In response, the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, moved a motion orally to amend the charges.
Thereafter, the accused took his plea.
One of the charges reads: “That you HYELADZIRA AJIYA NGANJIWA between the 18th day of January and the 16th day of December, 2013 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, being a judge of the Federal High Court enriched yourself with an aggregate sum of $144,000.00 (One Hundred and Forty Four Thousand United State Dollars) through your account No. 328/446178/2/1/0 domiciled in Guaranty Trust Bank Plc so as to have a significant increase in your assets that you cannot reasonably explain the increase in relation to your lawful income.”
The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were read to him.
In view of his plea, Oyedepo asked the court for a trial date and prayed that the accused be remanded in prison custody.
However, Clark urged the court to grant his client bail on self- recognizance.
Oyedepo, objected to the bail application.
After listening to both counsel, Justice Akintoye granted the defendant bail on self-recognizance.
The accused was ordered to deposit his international passport with the Chief Registrar of the court within seven days.
The matter was adjourned to October 6 and10, 2017 for trial.
