Buhari’s Lawyer Kicks, Describes N.5m Bribery Allegation as Personal Gift To Justice Ademola

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Wednesday, February 22nd, 2017

By Niyi Adeyi

ABUJA, NIGERIA (AFRICAN EXAMINER) – President Muhammadu Buhari’s Lawyer Mr. Kola Awodein (SAN) who was alleged to offer the sum of N500,000 to Justice Adeniyi Ademola of a Federal High in Abuja, in a subtle attempt to compromise him in the President’s alleged WAEC certificate racket trial in 2015, has described the claim as “malicious, utterly ridiculous, and revolting”.

Awodein’s reaction was stated in a statement issued Wednesday by President Buhari’s SA on Media and Publicity Mr. Femi Adeshina.

The statement recalled that most Nigerians knew that President Buhari challenged the elections of 2003, 2007, and 2011, up to the Supreme Court, asserting that not once was he named as trying to compromise any Judge, though some of them were his schoolmates, or contemporary, at one time or the other.

The senior Lawyer clarified that his reaction was in keeping with the President’s time-tested reputation as a man of truth and integrity, insisting that any attempt to sully the reputation was bound to fail, inexorably.

“I am constrained to make in absolute good faith , in good conscience and in the interest of justice and fair play the following very short statement on account of the distorted news story currently being peddled as affecting the person of Mr. President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and my good and very noble self.

“The very simple and plain facts are as follows:

“I have known as a friend and for well over 35 years Mr. Justice Niyi Ademola, a notorious fact known to majority of lawyers who have practiced especially in Lagos for over that same period more or less and also to so many other professionals of other disciplines and other prominent and not so prominent Nigerians.

“It is a fact that the sum of money mentioned was personally paid by me as a friend to Mr. Justice Ademola as a personal gift, as our custom well recognizes and demands, on the occasion of his daughter’s High Society wedding solemnized at the Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina, Lagos, on the 9th of May 2015, which I attended in person.

“I was fully convinced then, as I remain today, that I could do no less as a friend of longstanding to fairly reasonably support him on that memorable occasion of his daughter’s wedding.

“Anyone and everyone who knows me would readily and unquestionably testify that I am and have always been a man of impeccable integrity on and off the Courts and that such a record speaks always loudly for itself.

“I would conclude by stating categorically and without any equivocation that ANY link whatsoever with Mr. President, or any court case or cases, of my personal gift from my personal resources delivered to Justice Niyi Ademola by myself on that occasion or any suggestion whatsoever that it was anything but such a gift or that it ever came from Mr. President or at his instance or that I was acting, under any circumstances, on his behalf is most malicious, utterly ridiculous and in very very poor and revolting taste and most undeserving of any further comments” Awodein established.

It would be recalled that a Department of State Service’s (DSS) investigator, Mr. Babatunde Adepoju, Tuesday while testifying before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, as the 16th prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of Justice Ademola, his wife, Olabowale and their Counsel Mr. Joe Agi (SAN) that the sum of N.5m was offered to Justice Ademola by Mr. Awodein.

Adepoju was however quoting Mr. Agi who he (Adepoju) alleged made the revelation to DSS team of investigator. Agi repeated the allegation during his cross examination Tuesday.

Still, Justice Ademola’s Counsel (Agi) clarified that the sum was not a bribe, but a gift to the senior judge on the occasion of his daughter’s wedding.