Forgery: Court discharges Saraki, Ekweremadu, others

• Dr Saraki

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Jabi, Abuja, has discharged the Senate President, Bukola Saraki; Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu and two other persons arraigned for forging the Senate Standing Orders 2011.
The two other persons are – former Clerk of the National Assembly, Salisu Maikasuwa, and a former Deputy Clerk, Ben Efeturi,
Justice Yusuf Halilu, in a ruling on Friday, accepted the application filed by lead prosecution lawyer, Aliyu Umar (SAN), seeking the withdrawal of the charge against the defendants over a pending suit before the Federal High Court, Abuja, on the same matter.
Umar told the court that because of the pending case at the Federal High Court, involving Saraki and Ekweremadu, the prosecution decided to withdraw the older charge and the amended one filed on October 5 (Wednesday).
“This government respects the rule of law and the hierarchy of the judiciary. It is obvious from these two applications (filed by Saraki and Ekweremadu) and the similar case before your learned brother, Justice Kolawole, at the Federal High Court, who is dealing with the issue, that we are withdrawing the charges.

“It is trite that two matters of the same subject matter cannot be before different courts of coordinate jurisdiction. Therefore, the amended charge dated October 5, 2016 and also the original charge dated June 10, 2016 and filed the same date, be struck out and all the four defendants be discharged,” Umar said.
Lawyers to the defendants,  Paul Erokoro (SAN), Joseph Daudu (SAN), Ikechukwu Ezechukwu (SAN) and Mahmud Magaji (SAN),  did not object to Umar’s application to withdraw the charge, following which Justice Halilu struck it out and discharged the defendants.