N5.5bn Scam: Court Dismisses Ugbane, Elumelu’s Prayers

An Abuja Federal High Court last Friday, dismissed an application for stay of execution of the alleged N5.2 billion scam suit filed jointly by Sen. Nicholas Ugbane, Chairman Senate Committee on Power, and his House of Representatives counterpart, Ududi Ellumelu.

Justice Adebukola Banjoko, ruling on the motion, said it was unmeritorious, and did not satisfy the special circumstance needed of criminal allegation.

The applicants had approached the appellate court to challenge the May 11, decision of the trial court, which dismissed an earlier motion for quashing of the entire charge against them.

The accused persons made a follow up by filling another application for stay of execution of the decision of the court pending the determination of their appeal in the Court of Appeal.

Both applicants are being tried by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged inflation of the N2.5 billion Rural Electrification Agency contract.

The other seven persons charged for the same offence are the former managing director of Rural Electrification Agency, Samuel Gerkpe; and the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Power, Dr Abdullahi Aliyu.

The rest are Lawrence Orekoya, Abdulsamad Jahun, Kayode Oyedeji, Igwe Paulinus, Jibo Mohammed and Simon Nanle.

Mr Patrick Ikwueto (SAN), counsel to Elumelu, had said that the EFCC lacked the powers to query legislative functions carried out in the chambers of the National Assembly.