Skip to main content

AGF withdraws electricity theft charge against Abuja property developer

Justice Binta Murtala Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed the electricity theft charges filed against property developer Mr Cecil Osakwe.

The decision followed the withdrawal of the case by the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.

Delivering her ruling, Justice Nyako stated, “It is hereby ordered that, as requested by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation, the charge be struck out. The defendant is hereby discharged.”

The federal government initially accused Osakwe of tampering with electricity metres on one of his properties, with the case garnering public attention.

However, inconsistencies in the evidence presented by prosecution witnesses appeared to undermine the case.

At a previous hearing, the trial stalled due to discrepancies in the testimony of Mr John Suleiman, a key prosecution witness.

Suleiman claimed to have identified tampered metres but failed to provide corresponding documentation. Defence counsel Victor Giwa objected to the tendering of exhibits, arguing they were not properly attached to the witness statement as required.

Justice Nyako upheld the defence’s objection, ruling that Suleiman lacked the authority to present such evidence.

Consequently, the prosecutor, Mamman Alibaba, sought an adjournment to address the issue. Another witness, Mr Gabriel Ojo, a former Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) staff member, testified that his team investigated allegations of electricity theft on Osakwe’s property based on a whistleblower’s report.

However, Ojo admitted he could not recall key details, including the names of security guards interviewed during the investigation.

Following these developments, the Attorney-General’s office opted to withdraw the case, leading to Osakwe’s discharge.

ridoola.blogspot.com.ng
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

EFCC insists on presentation of Grace Tiaga's death certificate in P&ID case

Tiaga's counsel communicated the unavailability of the death certificate, requesting additional time. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is steadfast in its demand for the death certificate of the late Grace Tiaga, a former director of legal services at the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, to be submitted in court. Tiaga faced charges brought by the EFCC, alleging her involvement in receiving payments from Process & Industrial Development (P&ID) to manipulate the 20-year gas supply and processing agreement (GSPA) against Nigeria. The EFCC claims that these illicit payments were made through her daughter and persisted even after her retirement. The accusations extend to Tiaga's purported failure to adhere to due process while providing legal counsel on the GSPA. Initially facing eight counts of fraud, she was remanded to Suleja prison in 2019, later granted bail, and the charges were expanded to 13 counts. As the trial progressed, the prosecution p...
Post a Comment
Read more

List of America's one-term presidents & why they were not re-elected

U.S. President Joe Biden becomes the most recent entrant in a list of president who served for only one term. U.S. President Joe Biden announced that he would not be seeking re-election for a second term in the November 5, 2024 elections. Biden, in a statement said that he would be focused on completing his remaining term, endorsing his Vice President Kamala Harris as his most preferred nominee for the Democratic Party to take on former President Donald Trump. Joe Biden endorses Kamala Harris as Democrats' candidate after withdrawing from race [X:@JoeBiden] Biden now joins a list of former U.S. Presidents that only served for one term. John Adams (1797-1801) The second president of the United States, John Adams was a Founding Father who faced significant challenges during his presidency, including conflicts with political adversaries and foreign nations. His support for the Alien and Sedition Acts, perceived as a violation of civil liberties, contributed to his unpopulari...
Post a Comment
Read more

Tinubu appoints MKO Abiola's son, Jamiu as SSA on Linguistics & Foreign Matters

President Bola Tinubu has appointed Jamiu Abiola as the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Linguistics and Foreign Matters. The appointee is one of the children of the late Chief Moshood Kolawole Abiola , the winner of the 1993 presidential election annulled by General Ibrahim Babangida . According to a statement by Segun Imohiosen , the Director of Information and Public Relations, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation on Wednesday, November 27, 2024, Jamiu's appointment took effect from November 14, 2024. Imohiosen said the appointment aligns with the provisions of the Certain Political and Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances, etc) Act 2008, as amended. Until his recent deployment, the appointee served as the Special Assistant to the President of Special Duties in the office of the Vice President. Tinubu tasked Jamiu to work closely with the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs and bring his wealth of experience to bear in his new ...
Post a Comment
Read more