Justice Mojisola Olatoregun of Federal high court Lagos, this morning, chided a former defence minister Musiliu Obanikoro, saying that the minister was not doing the Nation a favour by testifying in the trial of former governor of Ekiti State Mr Peter Ayodele Fayose.
Fayose is being tried over an alleged N7.2 billion fraud.
When the case was called up for hearing this morning, Fayose was in court and proceeded into the dock.
Rotimi Jacobs SAN, Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC prosecutor informed the court that Obanikoro was not in court but Justice Mojisola said that it was Obanikoro’s civic duty to come to court and testify.
Shortly after, the trial Judge stood down the case for 90 minutes so as to represent the Chief Judge (CJ), of the Federal High Court at a United Nations function taking place in Lagos.
Earlier, Kanu Agabi SAN, Ahmed Raji SAN and Ola Olanipekun SAN announced their appearance for Fayose while Olalekan Ojo SAN announced appearance for Stopless Ltd, the 2nd defendant.
At the last adjourned date, Senator Obanikoro had testified against Fayose.
Obanikoro, led in evidence by EFCC’s counsel Mr Rotimi Jacobs SAN, had, at the last adjourned date, testified that he gave Fayose the sum of $5m in cash doled out from National Security impress account on the instruction of the then National Security Adviser to former president Goodluck Jonathan colonel Sambo Dasuki, who is equally standing trial for allegedly squandering $2.1bn dollars meant for the purchase of equipment to combat the Boko Haram insurgents between 2013 to 2015.
