A prosecution witness, Dr. Sani Teidi, testifying on Tuesday in the ongoing trial of a serving judge, Justice Adeniyi Ademola, and two others, before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Maitama, Abuja, accused the judge of demanding N25m bribe from him while standing trial before him (the judge) between 2013 and 2014.
Teidi, a former Director, Pension Accounts Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, who was testifying as the sixth prosecution witness, said he was made to remain on prison remand for one year and two months because of his refusal to meet the judge’s alleged demand for bribe.
But under cross-examination, the defence team confronted the witness with documents, including a report by the National Judicial Council exonerating, Justice Ademola, a serving judge of the Federal High Court, of the bribery allegation and other acts of misconducts.
Teidi, who was in the witness box for over seven hours taking turns to respond to questions from the prosecuting lawyers, said that although his wife wrote the petition which informed the report issued by the NJC, he was not aware of the document until about two weeks ago when it was shown to him by the prosecuting counsel.
The Federal Government is prosecuting Justice Ademola, his wife, Olabowale; and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Joe Agi, on charges bordering mainly on giving and receiving of gratification and alleged illegal possession of firearms found with the judge.
In one of the 16 counts preferred against the three defendants, Justice Ademola was specifically accused of attempting to receive N25m as gratification from Teidi, who was then standing trial before the judge on charges bordering on diversion of N4.6bn pension funds.
Led in evidence by the lead prosecuting counsel, Segun Jegede, the 57-year-old witness, now the Director, Finance and Account in the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, said Justice Ademola refused to sign his release warrant despite meeting the bail conditions.
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