By Our Reporter
The National Judicial Institute has commenced investigation into allegations by a group, under the auspices of Transparency and Anti-Corruption Crusade Network (TACN).
The group through a petition last week, had called on the office of the Chief Justice of Nigeria to investigate allegations that a sitting senator and former Governor reportedly bribed High Court and tribunal judges to the tune of over N3.1billion.
The petition received and acknowledged by the office of Chief Justice of Nigeria yesterday, was also signed by Stanley Ewuru, its Executive Director and made available to journalists in Abuja.
The group in a petition titled “A Petition Against Justice Ahmed R. Mohammed of the Federal High Court Sitting in Maitama for Alleged Fraud, Bribery and Corruption”, it was “informed that Justice Ahmed R. Mohammed, a judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja, collected the sum of $500,000, 000.00(Five Hundred Million Dollars) which is about N3,000,000,000.00(Three Billion Naira) from the former Governor of Benue State, Senator Gabriel Suswam, to quash or strike out the case brought against him by the EFCC which commenced hearing on the 9th and 10th of July, 2019.
According to the group’s petition, “This ugly incident happened on the second week of June, 2019 at Transcorp Hilton which Ahmed R. Mohammed received the afformentioned amount from Senator Gabriel Suswam to pervert justice on the fraud case levelled against him by EFCC. We can also furnish you with evidence on where the aformentioned amount was withdrawn and also the owner of the bank account”.
The group in the petition described as “This practice of the judge is shameful, criminal and irritating coming from a person who represents nobility and also a member of your noble and reputable body”.
The petition described the former Governor as a habitual briber who “also bribed the Election Petition Tribunal Judges in Benue State with N187,000,000.00(One Million and Eighty Seven Million Naira) advance payment to dismiss the case filed at the tribunal by one Mrs. Adzakpe-Orubibi, who contested the Benue North-East Senatorial seat on the platform of the APC challenging his election to the Senate”.
He urged the Acting CJN “not to allow Justice Ahmed R. Mohammed, to sit on this matter against Senator Gabriel Suswam by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which comes up on the 9th and 10th of July, 2019 at the Federal High Court, Abuja.
“We shall be grateful, if this petition is treated with utmost urgency to stop the aformentioned judge from carrying out his ugly intention to pervert justice on 9th and 10th of this month”.
