Why I gave judge N750,000-SAN accused of bribery

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) alleged that another Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Dr Joseph Nwobike, paid N750,000 into the account of Justice Mohammed Yunusa of the Federal High Court

An EFCC operative, Moses Awolusi, said there were new revelations about judges being allegedly induced through “a network of senior lawyers”.He said

“Investigation has also shown that as part of this chain of fraud, Mr. Joseph Nwobike (SAN) also transferred the sum of N300,000 to Hon. Justice H.A Nganjiwa.

“Investigations further revealed that Hon Justice M.N Yunusa as part of this scheme of fraud also received the sum of N750,000 from Mr. Joseph Nwobike SAN and Co,” the EFCC investigator said.

But Nwobike, in a statement to the anti-graft agency, which was also attached to the affidavit, explained that the money was not meant to bribe the judge.
He said it was the judge who asked him for financial assistance in respect of his mother who was undergoing dialysis due to failing kidney.

“Sometime ago, Justice Yunusa requested to see me. When I got there, he pleaded with me to assist him with some funds since his mother was under dialysis.

“He stated that her kidney had parked up and that he needed assistance to cure her. I felt sorry for him. I told him that I did not have funds, but that I would assist him when I had some money.

“I requested for his account details which he obliged me. When I got some money about two weeks after, I gave the money to him and he thanked me when he saw me along the corridor of the court of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi,” Nwobike said.