A Federal High Court in Abuja declined on Wednesday the application for the issuance of bench warrant against former aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, being tried for alleged money laundering related offences. At the mention of the case on Wednesday, lawyer to the prosecution, Mohammed Abubakar, noted that Fani-Kayode was absent. Abubakar recalled that Fani-Kayode had been absent in court on two other days and argued that the defendant was scheming to evade trial. He then applied to the court to revoke the bail granted the defendant, issue bench warrant for his arrest and order the issuance of summons on his surety to show cause why he (the surety) should not forfeit the bail bond he endorsed. Defence lawyer, Wale Balogun, objected to the request made by the prosecution and argued that ...
The All Progressives Congress, APC, has filed a petition against Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja, accusing him of accelerating hearing of a suit that is seeking to disqualify its governorship candidate in Edo State, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu. The ruling party, in the petition it forwarded to the Chief Judge of the High Court, Justice John Tsoho, requested the immediate withdrawal of the suit from Justice Taiwo to enable another judge to take over and hear the matter. In the petition dated August 20, which was signed by the National Secretary of the APC Caretaker Committee, Senator John Akpanudoedehe, the party, alleged that Justice Taiwo unnecessarily expedited hearing on the suit by granting abridgement of time to the plaintiffs when motion for such relief had not bee...