The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has filed fresh charges against Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia and Chief Godwin Obla (SAN) before the Federal High Court in Lagos.
The judge and the SAN are scheduled to be arraigned on the fresh charges on Thursday (today) before Justice Rilwan Aikawa.
Unlike the charges struck out by Justice Hakeem Oshodi on Tuesday, the fresh charge sheet, marked FHC/139c/19, contains only 18 counts.
In a statement on Tuesday by its acting Head, Media and Publicity, Tony Orilade, the EFCC said it re-arrested Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia so as to file fresh charges against her after Justice Oshodi struck out the earlier charges in line with the decision of the Court of Appeal in the case of Justice Hyeladzira Nganjiwa, that a serving judge could not be prosecuted unless first probed and sanctioned by the National Judicial Council.
Following a petition by the EFCC, the NJC had in October last year recommended Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia for dismissal from the Federal High Court bench.
The EFCC withdrew them and filed fresh ones to bring Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia’s trial in line with the Court of Appeal’s decision in Nganjiwa’s case.
