Court frees National Industrial Court judge

An Ikeja High Court on Thursday struck out the corruption suit filed against Justice James Agbadu-Fishim, a judge of the National Industrial Court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the ruling delivered by Justice Raliatu Adebiyi was in response to an application filed by the defence, citing the Court of Appeal case of Justice Hyeladzira Nganjiwa vs the Federal Republic of Nigeria that the court lacks jurisdiction to hear the case.
According to the precedent set by the Nganjiwa case, the EFCC does not have the powers to investigate or prosecute serving judicial officers except where such judicial officers have first been dismissed or retired by the National Judicial Council.
The judge noted while striking out the suit that Agbadu-Fishim was not investigated and dismissed by the NJC before being prosecuted by the anti-graft agency.
Justice Adebiyi, in the short ruling, said: “The defendant is a judge of the National Industrial Court and is standing trial for unlawful enrichment contrary to Section 82 of the Criminal Law of Lagos 2011.
“The defendant had not been removed by the NJC which is a condition precedent though the NJC received a letter from the prosecution and gave the latter permission to prosecute the defendant.”
Adebiyi also noted that though NJC directed the head of the National Industrial Court to order that Agbadu-Fishim stop sitting, no petition was filed at the NJC against the embattled judge.
He said: “The suit is struck out due to non-compliance with the conditions precedent.”
Following the ruling, counsel to Agbadu-Fishim, Prof. Amuda Kanike (SAN), in an oral application, requested that the international passports of the embattled judge that was in the court should be released to him.
Justice Adebiyi, however, granted Kanike’s request.
Responding, Wahab Shittu, the lead prosecuting counsel for the EFCC thanked the court for the ruling.
AN reports that the EFCC had arraigned Agbadu-fishim for allegedly receiving N4.4million from seven Senior Advocates of Nigeria, a lawyer and a law firm from 2013 to 2015.
The seven SANs that were accused of unlawfully enriching the judge are: Felix Fagbohungbe, Paul Usoro, Uche Obi, Muiz Banire, Adeniyi Akintola Gani Adetola Kazeem and Joseph Nwobike.
The prosecution alleged in the 19-count charge of unlawful enrichment that the judge received funds from a Lagos-based lawyer, Enobong Etteh and Alliance Law Firm.
According to the EFCC, Chief Felix Fagbohungbe (SAN), deposited N200,000 on December 5, 2013, N700,000 between May 10 and December 19, 2014, N250,000 on February 26, 2015 and N250,000 also on February 26, 2015 into the First Bank account with no. 3008199491 belonging to Agbadu-fishim.
The anti-graft agency alleged that Paul Usoro (SAN) between August 5 and December 12, 2015 deposited N300,000, between March 25 and March 26, deposited N400,000 and N100,000 into the First Bank account of the judge with no. 3008199491.
The law firm of Gani Adetola Kazeem (SAN), paid N100,000 on February 10, 2015 and Uche Obi (SAN) between October 17 and October 20, 2013 paid N200,000, Alliance Law Firm deposited N250,000 into the First Bank account of the judge with no. 3008199491.
A Lagos-based lawyer, Enobong Etteh, paid the sum of N200,000 on two occasions into the First Bank account of the judge with no. 3008199491 on October 27, 2014.
The EFCC told the court that Adeniyi Akintola (SAN) deposited N200,000 on July 12, 2014, N100,000 on February 10, 2014, N100,000 on February 26, 2015 and also N100,000 on February 26, 2015 into the First Bank account of the judge with no. 2006900216.
The EFCC claimed that Agbadu-fishim received N150,000 on December 12, 2014 and N100,000 on September 10, 2015 from Dr Joseph Nwobike
(SAN) into his First Bank account with no. 2006900216.
Agbadu-fishim had, however, denied the 19-count charge.