FORGERY: FG to Arraign Saraki, Ekweremadu June 27, As Court Orders Substituted Service

Bukola Saraki

SENATE President, Dr. Bukola Saraki and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, who were earlier scheduled to be arraigned on Tuesday (yesterday), over the alleged forgery of the Senate Standing Order, 2015 will now be arraigned on June 27 having been served court summon through the notice board of the National Assembly. The duo will be arraigned alongside a former Clerk of the National Assembly Salisu Maikasuwa and the Deputy Clerk Benedict Efeturi...

  They had claimed their absence in court was prompted by failure to serve them with the court summons. Following this contention, the Judge of the Federal High Court (Federal Capital Territory, Jabi Division) immediately gave an order for substituted service as the bailiff had informed the court that he found it difficult to serve the accused persons.
In the new order of summon, the court directed that it be pasted on the notice board of the National assembly.

The notice with charge number CV/21916, listed the federal government as “complainant/applicant” and defendants in the following order: Salisu Maikasuwa; Benedict Efeturi, Dr. Olubukola Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu.

“By oral application dated 21st June, 2016 moved by D.E Kaswe, Principal State Counsel FMJ, in this case praying the court for an order of this Honourable Court granting leave to the complainant application to serve the criminal summons on the defendants by substituted means to wit by pasting it at the notice board of the National Assembly, Three Arms Zone and after hearing D.C. Kaswe with A.A. Kaltingo, Esq, counsel for the complainant/applicant moved the court orally for the above relief”, the notice stated.

Following this development, the Senate yesterday summoned the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Malam Abubakar Malami, to appear before it within the next two days to explain the rationale behind federal government’s decision to charge Saraki and Ekweremadu to court over alleged forgery of the Senate rules.

According to the Senate, the alleged offences committed by the principal officers of the Senate should be seen a Senate affair and not the executive’s adding that the rules in question were senate standing rules and therefore did not interfere with affairs of the federal government.  

The resolution, which arose from a motion moved by Senator Dino Melaye (Kogi West), also directed the AGF to appear before it to explain the basis for his action as well as the evidence for his claims.

“The Senate mandates the Committee on Judiciary, Legal Matters and Human Rights to within two days summon the Attorney-General of the Federation to explain and justify with evidence the basis for his action and why it does not constitute gross misconduct, incompetence, contempt of court, and abuse of office,” the Senate resolved.