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Again, ex-air marshal, Adesola Amosu, others opt for plea bargain

By Joseph Onyekwere (Lagos) and Murtala Adewale (Kano)
17 April 2019   |   3:28 am
Former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu (rtd.), and his co-accused who are facing trial for alleged diversion of N21.4 billion budgeted for security operations have again indicated their intention to enter into a plea bargain with government. Their counsel, Chief Bolaji Ayorinde (SAN), Mr. Norrison Quakers (SAN) and Mr. Wale Taiwo (SAN),…

Adesola-Amosu

Former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Adesola Amosu (rtd.), and his co-accused who are facing trial for alleged diversion of N21.4 billion budgeted for security operations have again indicated their intention to enter into a plea bargain with government.

Their counsel, Chief Bolaji Ayorinde (SAN), Mr. Norrison Quakers (SAN) and Mr. Wale Taiwo (SAN), yesterday, urged Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke, who is hearing the case at the Federal High Court, Lagos, to adjourn for them to explore plea bargain with the government.

It was the third time the defendants would be proposing plea bargain with government since June 2016 when the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) charged them to court.

Those facing trial along with Amosu are Air Vice Marshall Jacob Adigun and Air Commodore Olugbenga Gbadebo.

The prosecution alleged that they used eight companies belonging to divert money budgeted for security operations by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF).

They first proposed plea bargain on July 8, 2016, weeks after the EFCC arraigned them before Justice Mohammed Idris, who was later elevated to the Court of Appeal in 2018.

Upon the fresh plea bargain proposition by the defence counsel yesterday, Justice Aneke adjourned the case till May 22.

Meanwhile, a Kano high court yesterday adjourned the case of defamation of character of Governor Abdullahi Ganduje against Ja’afar Ja’afar and Daily Nigeria.

Counsel to the plaintiff, Nura Ayagi, on behalf of his client, is claiming N3 billion damages from the defendants over incriminating video clips.

Appearing before Justice Suleiman Na’Mallam, lawyer to the first defendant, U.U. Etiet, sought the adjournment of the suit to enable the defence prepare for the case.

Justice Na’Mallam, however, granted the application of the defence team and pronounced the adjournment of the case till May 6, 2019, for further hearing.

Series of video footage released by Daily Nigeria, an online platform, in August 2018, showing an image that looks like Governor Ganduje receiving what was said to be kickbacks from a suspected contractor, went viral on social media and since attracted public concern.

Ganduje had since denied collecting bribe from any contractor, just as he refuted the video clips released by the medium.

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