A police inspector attached to the former Kogi state governor, Prince Abubakar Audu beat up an Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) operative who was taking his photograph in the court on the orders of the ex-governor.
Audu is being prosecuted at a FCT High Court by the EFCC for alleged involvement in N11 million embezzlement of public fund.
The commission’s Head of Media and Publicity, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, said in a press statement in Abuja that Haruna Ashade, a member of the EFCC team assigned to cover the proceeding, was carrying out his lawful duties when Audu’s aide, a police officer, descended on him.
He said realising that his image might have been captured by the cameraman, an incensed Audu demanded for the camera and when Ashade refused to hand the equipment to him, he called on one of his aides, a police inspector, to forcefully collect the camera and delete his pictures from it.
A scuffle ensued, throwing the court into confusion as Audu’s aide rained blows on the EFCC operative in the attempt to snatch the camera.
Uwujaren said it took the intervention of Justice Ademola Adeniyi, who was coming out of his chambers when the incident happened, to restore order to the court.
Justice Adeniyi sent one of his assistants and his orderly to restrain the policeman as well as ordered that the camera be kept in the custody of the court until after the sitting, an order which was obeyed by Ashade.
The spokesperson said that to the dismay of officials of the EFCC, when the camera was released at the end of the sitting, all the pictures taken in court had been deleted.
He further stated that after order was restored and the case was called, the prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Jacobs, pleaded for a short adjournment for reasons of non-availability of his witnesses in court.
He said Jacobs told the court that he was at the Court of Appeal till late yesterday and was not aware that the bank witnesses to be called were not available, adding that the prosecution would be bringing new witnesses.
Responding, counsel to the first accused, Patrick Ikwueto, said if the prosecution had other witnesses not contained in the proof of evidence, there was need for defendants to be served with their statement.
The case was adjourned till Friday, March 6, for continuation of trial.
Audu is being prosecuted alongside a former Director General of the Directorate of Rural Development in his administration, Alfa Ibn Mustapha, for offences bordering on criminal breach of trust and misappropriation of public funds to the tune of N10, 965,837,040.
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