EFCC arrests Tomopolo, Azibaola’s lawyer over N61m scam

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arrested popular Lagos-based lawyer, Mr. Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, the counsel to ex-Niger Delta militant leader, Chief Government Ekpemupolo, also known as Tompolo, for an alleged N61m scam.

According to statement posted on the official Facebook page of the EFCC it stated that Mr. Adegboruwa allegedly conspired with some persons to lease a property in the Lekki area of Lagos State, a property which is a subject of an Interim Forfeiture Order by a Lagos State High Court.

Adegboruwa who is the counsel for ex-Niger warlord Government Ekpemupolo, who is wanted for an alleged N45.9bn fraud involving the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, is also the counsel representing a cousin of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Mr. Robert Azibaola, who confessed to collecting a $40m pipeline contract.

In a fresh suit filed last Wednesday, Adegboruwa, claimed that any attempt to make his client indict the ex-President was a violation of Section 7 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, “which has outlawed the practice of arresting a citizen as ransom for the alleged offence of another citizen.”

According The PUNCH, the“Lagos lawyer, Adegboruwa, has been arrested by operatives of the EFCC for dealing in a property which is a subject of an Interim Forfeiture Order by a Lagos State High Court without due authorisation.

“He allegedly conspired with some other persons to lease the property situated at House 105 Nicon Town Estate, Lekki Lagos, to one Shelf Drilling Nigeria Limited, in the sum of N61, 631,944.65. The said money was credited to his Zenith Bank’s account, from where he made disbursements. The matter will soon be charged to court.”

Adegboruwa burst into the limelight through activism as a Student Union President at the Obafemi Awolowo University in 1992.

However, he had in recent times openly defended several persons being investigated or tried by the EFCC.