Judge sentences senior lawyer to one month in prison

The senior Nigerian lawyer, Joseph Nwobike, who was earlier convicted has been sentenced to one month in prison.

Mr Nwobike was convicted on 12 counts of attempting to pervert justice.

He was sentenced to one month in prison for each of the 12 counts. But because the sentences are to run concurrently, he would spend only one month in prison.

Mr Nwobike, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), was convicted by the Ikeja Division of the Lagos High Court on Monday.

Justice Raliat Adebiyi, however, found the lawyer not guilty on offences of offering gratification to a judicial officer and making a false declaration to an officer of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Mr Nwobike was prosecuted by the EFCC.

BACKGROUND

The EFCC had on March 9, 2016, arraigned Mr Nwobike before Justice Adebiyi on a five-count charge of allegedly offering gratification and attempting to pervert the course of justice.

The lawyer faced criminal prosecution for allegedly bribing Justice Mohammed Yunusa of the Federal High Court judge to refrain from exercising the duties of his office.

The defendant admitted in his statement to the EFCC that he gave N750,000 to Justice Yunusa to assist the Judge in the treatment of his ailing mother who allegedly suffered from kidney disease.

One of the counts reads: “You Dr Joseph Nwobike (SAN) on the 28th day of March 2015 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, intentionally gave the sum of N750,000 to Honourable Justice Mohammed Nasir Yunusa of the Federal High Court directly through your United Bank for Africa Account No. 1002664061 in order that the said Judge refrains from acting in the exercise of his official duties and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 64 (1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State No. 11 of 2011”.

Mr Nwobike pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to him, hence the trial which judgment was given today.

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