Explaining his relationship with the judge, Tarfa said before being appointed to the Bench, Justice Nganjiwa was absorbed into his firm in 1995 immediately after leaving the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) where he rose to the position of Deputy Director (Prosecution).
Tarfa said Nganjiwa was with his law firm until he was appointed to the Federal High Court in 2012.
UNQUOTE
Why judges are exposed to corruption, by Agbakoba
• 'Chief judges beg governors for money'
A former Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) President Dr Olisa Agbakoba (SAN) has said poor funding of the judiciary exposes judges to corruption.
The National Judicial Council (NJC) member, yesterday, said many judges were in financial difficulties and cannot meet most of their needs.
Agbakoba said it would be difficult to blame a poorly paid judge, whose mother has a terminal illness, for asking for help from friends.
"You don't expect a judge, whose mother is dying, would be thinking about Code of Conduct. I don't think so," Agbakoba asked.
The SAN said due to lack of proper funding, chief judges beg governors for funds, adding that such problems would persist as long as the judiciary is underfunded.
He recalled the case of a Supreme Court justice, who retired and said in her valedictory speech that she had no home because there was no money to build a house.
Agbokoba spoke in Lagos at a briefing on "moving the economy forward", in which he recommended the unbundling of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Asked for his thoughts on the charge filed against a senior advocate, Dr Joseph Nwobike, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Agbakoba said it was important to examine the underlying causes of why a judge would ask a lawyer or a friend for financial assistance.
Nwobike was accused of attempting to pervert the cause of justice by giving Justice Mohammed Yunusa N750,000, but the senior advocate said the judge sought his help to enable him pay the bill of his mum, who was undergoing treatment for kidney failure.
Agbakoba said: "When my father was the chief judge in the old East Central State, to attempt to approach our gate if you're a lawyer could land you in jail. I remember the late Justice Kayode Eso, who was my dad's friend, saying that he would refuse to accept a Christmas hamper from me, but he would accept a card wishing him a happy birthday.
"But we also know that moral values have changed. Part of the challenge is, why would that judge be in a situation of such helplessness? That is the underlying question.
"If a judge is in a situation where his mother is dying, he will take money from anybody and lose his job. It doesn't have to be from a lawyer. But the issue is, why would he be in that sort of position in the first place?
"If you ask the late Eso, he will tell you it's wrong to help a judge in need, but in his time, they were properly funded; everything was in place," Agbakoba said.
According to Agbakoba, poor funding of the judiciary manifests in Chief Judges going to governors to seek financial assistance.
"A SAN is even a better person to ask for assistance than a governor. Why would CJs go cap in hand to governors for goodies for their judges? Why? I know so many judges who are in difficulty. Some can't even pay school fees. It's about funding of the judiciary.
Agbaboka said the anti-corruption fight is yielding results, but the CBN needs to be unbundled if the economy is to be stimulated.
"CBN is currently over-burdened. CBN should focus on lending, interest rate and exchange," he said.
Tarfa explains relationship with judge
He said he read about the allegation in the media and has not been served with a fresh charge.
Explaining his relationship with the judge, Tarfa said before being appointed to the Bench, Justice Nganjiwa was absorbed into his firm in 1995 immediately after leaving the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) where he rose to the position of Deputy Director (Prosecution).
Tarfa said Nganjiwa was with his law firm until he was appointed to the Federal High Court in 2012.
The senior advocate, in a statement by his Head of Chamber, Mr. John Odubela, said Nganjiwa, who specialised in criminal law, attracted many briefs/clients because of his expertise.
Tarfa said upon his appointment as a judge, the law firm continued with the cases he brought to the chambers.
"In the light of the above, we have continued to discharge the firm's financial obligations to him in respect of cases he has handled for the firm as a practicing legal practitioner in our law firm and those he brought to the chambers," the statement said.
Tarfa accused the EFCC of persecution, describing 27 count charge filed against him as ridiculous.
"We have cause to once more react to the malicious trial by media of our Rickey Tarfa (SAN) by the EFCC. Trials are never won on the pages of newspapers, the airwaves and on online platforms.
"The recent 27 count charge allegedly filed against Tarfa by EFCC is not only laughable because as at the time of issuing this press statement, Tarfa is yet to be served with the charge. The media is, however, awash with 'details' of the said charge."
On the allegation of the falsification of age, the statement said Tarfa always marked his birthdays publicly and has no reason to lie about his age.
"For the umpteenth time, we as a law firm, assure all our clients and members of the public that we are law abiding and would never be involved in any act in contravention of the law of the country.
"We restate that we appreciate the goodwill, support from colleagues, friends, clients and lovers of human rights, through calls, text messages and personal visits since this persecution commenced and pledge that the 28 year old firm of RickeyTarfa& Co. will continue to practice its trade in the best traditions of the bar."
EFCC slams 27 charges against Tarfa
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has slammed 27 charges against Mr. Rickey Tarfa (SAN) for allegedly bribing a High Court judge, Justice Mohammed Yunusa.
The EFCC had on Friday charged another senior advocate, Mr. Joseph Nwobike, for allegedly bribing the same judge with N750,000.
In a statement by the spokesperson for the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, the anti-graft agency said Tarfa and Nwobike would be arraigned in a Lagos State High Court.
In two separate charges filed by the anti graft agency, the learned silk are accused of offering gratification running into millions of naira to judges in a bizarre ploy to influence decisions in their favour.
According to the anti-graft agency, Tarfa allegedly bribed Yunusa by depositing money into the account of another federal judge, Justice Nganjiwa AjiyaTarfa is facing 27 counts of alleged wilful obstruction of authorised officers of the EFCC, refusing to declare asset, making false information to an officer of the EFCC and offering gratification to a public official.
Some of the counts read in part, "That you Rickey Tarfa on the 29th day of January, 2014 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, intentionally gave the sum of N1.5m to Hon. Justice Nganjiwa Hyeladzira Ajiya of the Federal High Court directly from your Zenith Bank Account No.1002926967, in order that the said Judge acts in the exercise of his official duties.
"That you Rickey Tarfa (SAN) on the 3rd day of October, 2014 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, intentionally gave the sum of N 835,000 to Justice Nganjiwa Hyeladzira Ajiya of the Federal High Court directly from your Zenith Bank Account No.1002926967, in order that the said Judge acts in the exercise of his official duties.
"That you Rickey Tarfa (SAN) on or about the 15th day of December, 2015 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, intentionally gave the sum of N500, 000 to Mohammed Nasir Yunusa of the Federal High Court indirectly through Awa Ajia Nigeria Limited's account No. 0000971931 domiciled in Access Bank Plc belonging to Hon. Justice Nganjiwa Hyeladzira Ajiya in order that Hon. Mohammed Nasir Yunusa refrains from acting in the exercise of his official duties."
My People:If President Buhari's anti-corruption campaign is to "smell" any measure of success, it must take extra-ordinary dragnet measures with respect to our country's Judiciary and the Banks as essential enablers of several nefarious activities. These problem enablers cannot be the problem solvers.The news below is therefore welcome.....Corruption will NEVER be curbed in Nigeria if lawyers and judges can conspire with impunity - and be discovered a la Tarfa/Yunusa/Ofili-Ajumogobia - and have their cases treated as if they are normal...with light rap-on-the-wrist punishments.Our judicial system will then not only remain corrupt but will be sustainably corrupting.Long-held suspicions and whispering campaigns on the streets and in the court-houses of cloak-and-dagger relationships between high- and low judges and "top" lawyers (SANs and near-SANS, and in-between) are now being confirmed. Some of the things that I have heard about these cross-contaminations are startling, and this RickyTarfa-gate is a mere posterchild for them. Election petition cases are the worst of the kind, I hear, with even defending lawyers being chosen because of co-religious leanings with Tribunal chairmen, etc.Something has got to give, ladies and gentlemen, and President Buhari must become more personally engaged in his own administration on several critical fronts. He must cast aside any fear of being tarred as a dictator. .After all, he is the one that was elected on certain pledges, not his rather silent Attorney-General Abubakar Mallami, or the rampaging Minister of Education Adamu Adamu.Bolaji Aluko___________________________________________________________TRIBUNEJudges in trouble over bank accountsMarch 5, 2016Security agents obtain financial detailsWritten by:Lanre Adewole - LagosIn what could be the biggest shake-up in the nation's judiciary since independence, an all-inclusive probe of nearly all judges manning superior courts of records in the country has reportedly commenced, Saturday Tribune has learnt.Already, all information relating to the judges' bank accounts and transactions are said to have been obtained by security agencies handling the probe.The operation is reportedly tagged "total reform of the judiciary".The information obtained on the financial transactions of the judges, including justices of the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court, are reportedly being processed by the probing security agencies, with a certain agency coordinating and sharing information with others.A security source told Saturday Tribune that the outcome of the probe would be far bigger than what was called a tsunami in Ghana, where over 20 judges were sacked for alleged corruption last year.Every suspicious transfer on their accounts is reportedly being pencilled in for questioning while every "heavy" lodgement would have the depositor being queried regarding the purpose of such payment.With litigants suspected of using fronts to allegedly bribe judges, the investigating bodies are reportedly not on the look-out for known names as they are not expected to be overtly involved.The probing agencies are reportedly more interested in cash lodgement and movements on the accounts of the judges, which is outside of their salaries and allowances.Those who participated in the trial of election petitions across the country are also said to be prime targets.Judicial interventions in election disputes have been tainted by claims of alleged bribe-for-judgement.Senior judges who have also handled controversial cases, according to Saturday Tribune source, would attract special interest from the investigators.With many unknown judges also accused of serving as bribe conduits for senior judges, accounts of such unknown judges with "unbelievable" balance and "heavy" lodgement would also receive deep scrutiny from the investigating bodies.A retired judge with strong bond with certain powers-that-be, has been fingered as the brains behind the "judicial reform".The judge is believed to have advised in a certain way in order to catch "dirty" judges unaware and clean up the system once and for all.Tremor ran through the judicial circle when pieces of evidence against a couple of justices were presented in court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).The source pointed at a recent counter affidavit filed by the EFCC in its case with Ricky Tarfa (SAN) which he said, suggested that bank transactions by judicial officers over the years have come under scrutiny.The EFCC, in the counter-affidavit, alleged that Tarfa paid another judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Hyeladzira Ajiya Nganjiwa, N5.3 million between June 27, 2012 and December 23, 2014.The agency said it uncovered what it called a"network of collaboration and illicit transfer of funds" between Tarfa, Justice Nganjiwa and Justice Mohammed Yunusa, earlier accused of collecting N225,000 from Tarfa.The EFCC added that Justice Nganjiwa, after collecting the N5.3million, transferred N1.6 million to Justice Yunusa through his personal UBA Plc account 1005055617.With the fresh realisation that nearly all the judges are being scrutinised, sensitive conversations among judges are no longer done by phone.The indictment of some senior lawyers in the matters involving the judges is said to be making everyone cautious, while they hold their breath to see the outcome of the current effort to sanitise the judiciary.It was gathered that many senior lawyers with social relationship and friendship with judges are now at a loss as to how to relate with them financially without attracting embarrassing attention from probing agencies.While there is a suspicion that President Muhammadu Buhari is having a sustained tiff with the judiciary, a security source said incontrovertible cases that would be built against the judges would make the allegation of persecution totally irrelevant.Meanwhile, Justice Muhammed Yunusa of the Federal High Court, Lagos has been transferred to Yobe State.Yobe is the home state of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed.It was gathered on Friday night that the leadership of the judiciary would do nothing to save indicted judges.The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has put up a robust defence for its indicted members.Two alleged corruption cases have been brought against Justice Yunusa.A judge of the Federal Capital Territory of Yoruba origin may also be pulled in soon for alleged corruption.Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia is also said not to be completely off prosecution despite the sanctions imposed on her by the National Judicial Council (NJC) for unethical conducts.It was also learnt that a hitherto dormant provision in the Act setting up an investigative body which empowers it to obtain call logs without going to courts has been activated to monitor conversations between the Bench and members of the public, particularly lawyers.Lawyers have been consistently fingered as the bribe conduits for judges.Efforts by government agencies to select 37 "clean" judges mainly for corruption trial have not been successful.Nearly all the 100 judges polled for the special assignment failed the integrity test conducted on them._________________________________________________________________
Salimonu Kadiri via googlegroups.com wrote
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