Court orders arrest Of Akwa Ibom AG, others

Justice Rilwan Aikawa of the Federal High Court, Lagos, yesterday, ordered the arrest of Akwa Ibom State Attorney General, Uwemedimo Nwoko, and other officials of the state.

Those named in the order include Commissioner for finance, Udom Idongesit Ekom; Accountant General, Nsikan Linus Nkanl; a cashier in Government House, Margaret Thompson Ukpe and one Nfon Jacobson Udomah. The Judge made the order sequel to an application moved by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, seeking for warrant of arrest against the officials of Akwa Ibom State, whose names appeared in the N1.4billion charge filed against the embattled President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Paul Usoro (SAN).

EFCC had earlier re-arraigned Usoro before Justice Aikawa on the allegations of converting to personal use, concealing the source of, disguising the origin of and retaining in his account sums of money to the tune of N1.4billion belonging to the Akwa Ibom State Government.
EFCC said Usoro committed the alleged offences between 2015 and 2016 and named as his accomplices, Governor Udom Emmanuel, whom it acknowledged, is currently constitutionally immuned to criminal prosecution, among others earlier mentioned.

EFCC also said Usoro was paid with Akwa Ibom State’s funds for legal services he rendered in his personal capacity to Emmanuel, who was then a governorship candidate, but is now a governor.

The anti-graft agency listed its witnesses who would give evidence of its investigation, with exhibits and reveal their findings, as Ibrahim Musa Miringa and Abdulrah Mohammed AraboIt. It said they took statements of the suspects and witnesses, while documents recovered by them in the course of the investigation would be tendered and analysed before the court.

EFCC added that Ekom would give evidence of the transaction source of the sum of N300, 000,000 and how the account of Paul Usoro & Co was opened.

Other lawyers listed to give evidence include Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN), Tayo Oyetibo (SAN), Theophilus Oyesanya (SAN), Onyechi Ikeazu (SAN), Festus Jumbo and D.D. Dodo concerning the legal services they rendered with the defendant for Emmanuel, for which they received payments from the defendant.Representatives of Zenith Bank, Access Bank, Diamond Bank, Standard Chartered Bank and Sterling Bank would equally testify.