An Abuja High Court has fixed September 28 for the Federal Government to open its case against the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu.
Both senators are facing trial before Justice Yusuf Halilu over alleged involvement in the forgery of Senate Standing Rules, 2015. Also charged before the court over the alleged forgery were the former Clerk of the National Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Abubakar Maikasuwa and his deputy, Mr. Benedict Efeturi.
The defendants were alleged to have masterminded the usage of the said bogus Standing Rules for the June 9, 2015 election, through which both Saraki and Ekweremadu took over leadership of the Senate.
The government, in the two-count charge, maintained that the defendants, by their conduct, committed an offence punishable under Section 97 (1) and 364 of the Penal Code Act. Trial Justice Halilu had, on June 27, released the defendants on bail, even as he okayed full-blown hearing into the matter.
However, the case could not proceed as scheduled, owing to the fact that the court had commenced its annual vacation. Consequently, trial of the defendants was differed till September 28.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has engaged a private prosecutor to conduct the trial on its behalf.
The case which was hitherto handled by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mohammed Diri, has now been assigned to the former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of Kano State, Aliyu Umar (SAN). Bail conditions Diri had on the day the defendants were arraigned, told the court that he would not oppose Saraki’s bail request.
He, however, urged the court to deny the trio of Ekweremadu, Maikasuwa and Efeturi bail on the premise that they attempted to evade service of the charge on them. Diri said his decision not to challenge Saraki’s bail application was to ensure that legislative business in the Senate was not hampered in any way.
In a bench ruling, Justice Halilu allowed the defendants to go home after they produced “two reasonable sureties” each. The court, however, stressed that the sureties must be owners of landed properties in highbrow areas of Asokoro, Maitama, Wuse II or Garki in Abuja.
