Ex-AGF, Adoke’s trial stalled as EFCC lawyer withdraws from case

The trial of former Nigeria’s attorney-general, Mohammed Adoke, was stalled on Monday following the withdrawal of the lead counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in the matter. 

Justice Inyang Ekwo had on February 25, fixed today Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, for trial-within-trial in the matter. 

At the resumed trial, no lawyer appeared for the EFCC, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.

However, it was informed that the anti-corruption agency had already sent in a letter of its plan to change its counsel. 

Read Also: It was gunmen that killed 22-year-old woman, Oluwabamise – Lagos BRT driver confesses

The EFCC, in the letter addressed to the deputy chief registrar of the court, prayed the court for an adjournment to enable it to engageG  the services of another legal team to prosecute the case. 

The anti-graft agency said the lead counsel on record for the prosecution returned the case files for his personal reasons.

It said in view of the same, there would be a need to constitute another legal team that would take over the prosecution of the cases.

It said that the case files and the records of proceedings had to be property studied and that debriefing from the former counsel was sacrosanct.

Justice Ekwo fixed May 9, May 10 and May 11 for trial continuation.

Adoke, alongside Aliyu Abubakar, a businessman and 2nd defendant in the matter, is being tried before the court on a money-laundering related charge.