Witness: My Wife Wrote Petition Alleging Demand for N25m Bribe by Justice Ademola

Alex Enumah in Abuja

The sixth prosecution witness of the federal government, Shuaibu Teidi, in the ongoing trial of Justice Ademola, his wife and senior lawyer, Joe Agi (SAN) over alleged corruption and gratification matter, yesterday told the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja that his wife wrote the petition to the National Judicial Council (NJC) alleging Justice Ademola demanded N25million bribe in order to release him on bail.

Justice Ademola, his wife, Olubowale and Agi, are standing trial on a 16-count charge bordering on receipt of gratification and illegal possession of fire arms.

At the resumed trial yesterday, Teidi who was a former Director in the pension office of the federal civil service, in his evidence in chief told the court that he was arraigned before Justice Ademola around 2012 and was kept in prison for about 14 months where he developed high blood pressure and diabetes.

According to him, Justice Ademola had given a stringent bail condition which he could not meet, adding that the judge also refused to vary the bail which then prompted him to approach the Court of Appeal where the said conditions were varied and he was eventually released in 2014.

Led in evidence by prosecuting counsel, Segun Jegede, the witness stated that his wife had received calls from several people among whom was one Kingsley O. requesting for the bribe of N25 million for Justice Ademola, to facilitate his bail.

He said, it was based on this that his wife wrote a petition to the NJC.
However, under cross-examination by the defense counsel, Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu SAN, the witness was confronted with the report of the investigative panel of NJC which exonerated Justice Ademola of the accusation of asking for bribe.

The witness remained mute as the counsel read out with the permission of the court the said report dated February 27, 2015 and jointly signed by Justice D.O Dozie who was the chairman of the committee, Justice H.Y Heman (member) and Mrs. R.S Ibrahim (member).

The reports which is already an exhibit before the court read in part, “we are persuaded to hold and unanimously too, that nothing has emerged from the complaints to establish that the Respondent, Justice A.F.A Ademola, in dealing with the matter of bail application of Dr. Shuaibu, had compromised his judicial office and we recommend that the complaints be dismissed as they have not been established.”

When Teidi was further asked whether he wrote a petition to the DSS against Justice Ademola, he said no.
He, however, added that he was invited by the DSS two weeks ago and was shown a petition written by some people.
He added that it was on the strength of the petition that he was asked to write a statement.

Asked whether he or his wife had any contact or received any phone call from Justice Ademola during the pendency of his case before him, he also said no.

Based on alleged demand for bribe, the witness was asked whether he reported the issue to the EFCC or police, but he said no.

When the defence counsel confronted Teidi that he was asked to come and testify against Justice Ademola so that the federal government can withdraw the criminal charge against him, he said no.
The witness however, contradicted himself in several ways.

In one breath, he told the court that Justice Ademola denied him bail, but when the judgment of the Court of Appeal was given to him read, he read that he could not perfect the bail application granted him by the judge.