The State High Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos State, has fixed May 5, 2023, for ruling on the no-case submission filed by a former Director-General, of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, Patrick Akpobolokemi, and a former Executive Director, NIMASA, Ezekiel Agaba.
The defendants are in court over an alleged N754.8 million fraud.
Earlier, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission dragged Akpobolokemi and Agaba before the Justice R.I.B Adebiyi-led High Court, alongside Governor Juan, Vincent Udoye, Ekene Nwakuche, Adegboyega Olopoenia and a company, Gama Marine Nigeria Ltd.
However, the charge was later amended to involve only Akpobolokemi and Agaba.
The defence counsel, Collins Ogbonna and E.D. Onyeke, on Friday, separately adopted the final written addresses of their clients and also urged the court to uphold the no-case submissions of their clients.
This was conveyed in a statement signed by the EFCC Director, Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, on Friday night.
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The agency’s spokesperson said that the defence counsel further urged the court to hold that the prosecution had not made a prima facie case against the defendants that would necessitate them being taken to the dock to defend themselves.
Uwujaren said, “The prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, while adumbrating on the response of the prosecution, urged the court to rely on the evidence placed before it by the prosecution as well as the testimony of the 12 witnesses called.
“Oyedepo also urged the court to dismiss the no-case submissions of the defendants as lacking in merit. “The evidence before my lord establishes the essential ingredients of conspiracy, stealing and forgery,” he said, adding that even “the second defendant admitted the essential ingredients of the offence: the conspiracy to steal and the conspiracy to forge a document.”
Therefore, Oyedepo, urged the court to dismiss the no-case submissions as lacking in merit, and to order the defendants to open their defence, adding that they have a lot of explanations to make.
“His statement contains a confession, which contains no further documentary evidence for your lordship to make a finding of facts, substantively,” he added.
Meanwhile, Justice Adebiyi adjourned till Friday, May 5, 2023, for the ruling.