By Onyewuchi Ojinnaka
Former Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) boss Professor Maurice Iwu on Friday lost the bid to transfer his trial to Abuja.
Justice Nicholas Oweibo of a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos Nigeria dismissed Iwu’s application seeking to transfer his trial to Abuja on the grounds that all the prosecution witnesses the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) intends to call for the trial are based in Lagos. Iwu’s application to transfer his case to Abuja for trial was filed and argued before the court by his counsel Mr Hameed Raji (SAN). Professor Iwu is standing trial before the court on charges of money laundering to the tune of N1.23billion After the ruling dismissing the application, presiding judge Justice Nicholas Oweibo fixed April 20, 2020 for the commencement of trial of the former INEC boss.
Counsel to former INEC Boss Mr. Raji (SAN) in an application filed and argued before the court challenging territorial jurisdiction of the court, urged the court to transfer the case to Abuja, on the ground that the offence alleged to have been committed took place in Abuja.Beside this, the defendant resides in Abuja and any time the matter comes up in Lagos, the defendant spends money on transportation, hotel accommodation in addition to going through a lot of stress.
However, while opposing the application, the EFCC prosecuting counsel Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, in his counter argument , told the court that, apart from the fact that in the new Administration of Criminal Justice system, only the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court has the power to transfer any case from one division of the court to another division, all the witnesses the prosecution intends to call are all Lagos based; the Investigating Police Officer, the officers of the banks to give evidence are in Lagos. Mr Oyedepo argued further that the alleged offence committed by Maurice Iwu touches on the Economy of Nigeria, and therefore he can be tried in any part of the country.He consequently urged the court not to grant Iwu’s request.
