Alleged Fraud: Oyo-Ita’s Trial Stalled Over Judge’s Absence

The scheduled trial of a former Head of Service of the Federation, Winifred Ekanem Oyo-Ita, over alleged fraud, was stalled on Tuesday due to the absence of the presiding judge.

The former HoS, who is being persecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, had arrived at the Federal High Court Maitama, Abuja, for hearing, but Justice Taiwo Taiwo was unavailable.

Taiwo had on July 8 adjourned hearing till today (Tuesday) and 21 October, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The High Court Chief Registrar, Emmanuel Gakko, had disclosed that the court would be on annual vacation from 27 July and would resume on September 28.

But, Taiwo was absent at Tuesday’s proceedings as a court official announced that, “please, the court will not be sitting.”

The official later explained to our correspondent that the trial judge was yet to resume from his own vacation.

“He is on leave and his leave is supposed to end on November 9,” the official said.

EFCC’s counsel, M.S. Abubakar, who was present in court also affirmed to THE WHISTLER that him and the defence counsels would have to choose a new date for the continuation of trial.

He later informed THE WHISTLER that they had agreed to adjourn the trial till December 1 and 2.

Oyo-Ita and two others were arraigned before the court on March 23, by the EFCC, on an 18-count bordering on fraud to the tune of about N471,633,291.

Ubong Effiok (her special assistant) and Garba Umar, are among the defendants.

Other defendants are Frontline Ace Global Services Limited, Asanaya Projects Ltd, Garba Umar Slopes International Ltd.; Gooddeal Investments Ltd; U & U Global Services Ltd, which is linked to Effiok and Prince Mega Logistics Limited.

They all pleaded not guilty to the charges.