An anti-graft coalition, Civil Society Network Against Corruption (CSNAC), has sent a request to the chairperson, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), demanding the investigation and prosecution of Justices Hyeladzira Nganjiwa and Mohammed Yunusa, for allegedly receiving millions of Naira in bribe from Mr. Rickey Tarfa (SAN).
Taking a cue from an online Newspaper report, Sahara Reporters of 29th June, 2016, where it was reported of how Mr. Rickey Tarfa SAN allegedly paid money into the bank account of two federal High Court judges, the group through the petition signed by its chairman, Mr. Olanrewaju Suraju, noted that it is quite unfortunate that Judges who are supposed to be custodians of the law in Nigeria have their hands soiled in various corrupt practice.
The said revelation was made by a witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Tosin Owobo when he was been led in evidence by the EFCC counsel Rotimi Oyedepo at the ongoing trial of Mr. Tarfa.
The witness, who is an EFCC operative, told the court that in the course of the investigation, the Commission wrote letters to Zenith and Fidelity banks requesting information on Tarfa and Awa Ajia Nigeria Limited’s account.
The responses showed that the signatory to the company’s account was a Judge, which was later found to be Justice Hyeladzira Nganjiwa. The report stated that also featured in the statement of account was one Mohammed Nasir Yunusa, another judge of the Federal High Court. The witness gave a breakdown of some transactions in the account linking Tarfa and the two judges from the statement of account received.
Furthermore, according to the witness, several payments were made into the account at different times by the suspect, On August 6, 2013, a cheque of N500, 000 was paid to H. A. Nganjiwa by Rickey Tarfa. On January 29, 2014, they discovered that H. A. Nganjiwa was paid the sum of N1.5m,” he said.
He narrated further that a cheque in the sum of N835, 000 was paid to Justice Nganjiwa on October 3, 2014. Also on December 23, 2014, he received N500, 000, which was cleared from Rickey Tafar’s account. Another cash deposit of N1.5m was made into that account at Awa Ajia by Rickey Tarfar. He added that on October 27, 2015, a cash deposit of N1.5m was made into the account of H. A. Nganjiwa by Rickey Tarfar. On December 30, 2015, there was also a cash deposit in the sum of N500, 000. A cash deposit of N500, 000 by Rickey Tarfar was made to Awa Ajia Nig. Ltd. on January 8, 2016. Also, Owobo alleged that on November 30, 2015, there was a transfer of the sum of N200, 000 from Hauwa Nig. Ltd. to Justice Yunusa as well as the sum of N500, 000 on December 15, 2015
According to CSNAC, the report also states that on February 9, 2016, a transfer from Hauwa Nig. Ltd. was made to Mohammed Yunusa in the sum of N300, 000. Also on transaction tickets which were issued to the bank with instructions which the account should be debited and credited, they discovered that the signature instructions were signed by Mr. Tafar. On June 28, 2012, the account of H. A. Nganjiwa was credited with the sum of N500, 000 and N1.5m from Rickey Tarfar. On December 22, 2014, a deposit of N500,000 was made, and on December 11, 2014, the judge of Federal High Court, paid N3.5m to Rickey Tarfar’s account. Also On February 13th 2015 there was a transfer of N250, 000 from Tarfar to Nganjiwa, and on 18th June, 2015, there was another transfer of N500, 000 to H. A. Nganjiwa, which were made by the same Tarfar.”
"It is quite unfortunate that Judges who are supposed to be custodians of the law in Nigeria have their hands soiled in various corrupt practices. One wonders how these Judges are still allowed to adjudicate on cases in the country when they themselves have cases to answer. This ugly trend if not arrested early enough is capable of truncating our fragile democracy and eroding the confidence of Nigerians in the Judiciary.
"CSNAC is therefore by this petition calling on the Commission to as a matter of urgency conduct a thorough investigation into the aforementioned matter and commence immediate prosecution of these culpable judges. This has become very necessary in order to uphold the sanctity of the law as well as restore the confidence of Nigerians the judicial system," the petition reads.
