Delta paid Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia N24m in 2011– Witness

By Onitsha Shedrack,

A witness in the ongoing trial of Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia, Mr Clement Okaranwolu, a former customer relations officer with Access Bank Plc, said on Friday that the Delta State Government paid into the account of Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia N24m in two transactions in August 2011.

Recall that Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia, a serving judge of the Federal High Court, is currently standing trial before a Lagos State High Court in Ikeja for alleged bribery and unlawful enrichment.

Okaranwolu appeared on Friday as the fourth prosecution witness before Justice Hakeem Oshodi, where Justice Ofili-Ajumogobia is being tried on 30 counts alongside a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Godwin Obla.

Okaranwolu, testifying before the court on Friday, described himself as the judge’s account officer at the time, the state credited the judge’s account with N15m on August 5, 2011; and with N9m on August 29, 2011.

According to him, the N15m was paid into the Justice account with an Oceanic Bank cheque while the N9m was lodged in with a Zenith Bank cheque.

Among other things, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission accused her of receiving a total of $793,800 in several tranches from different sources between 2012 and 2015 “so as to have a significant increase in your assets that you cannot reasonably explain the increase in relation to your lawful income.”

The witness, who was led in evidence by the EFCC prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo, told the court that apart from the naira account, the judge also owned two dollars accounts into which lodgments were constantly made by herself and other individuals.

Among the individuals who paid into the judge’s domiciliary account, numbered 0002130929, is one Ken Mozia, who paid in $20,000 on May 7, 2008.

Others are Tony Iwobi, who paid $10,000 into the account on April 16, 2008; Ali D, who paid in $10,000 on June 16, 2007; Subedetu, who paid in $3,000 on April 12, 2011; and AB/GT which paid in $9,900 on April 30, 2013.

Further proceedings in the case have been adjourned till April 28, 2017.