$6 Billion Mambilla Saga: Judge Blows Hot, Warns Agunloye’s Lawyer Over Delay Tactics

A judge of a federal capital territory (FCT) high court, Jude Onwuegbuzie, has warned the counsel representing the former minister of power and steel, Olu Agunloye, to desist from delaying the trial.

According to a statement by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the judge, during the proceedings on Thursday, chastised the senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Jude Onwuegbuzie, for always making excuses based on Agunloye’s health and age, as well as filing different motions that have stalled the progress of the trial.

“My principle of justice is that of no delay. The other time you brought the issue of amicus curiae and wasted the time of the court.

“There must be mutual respect. Do not come and serve processes in court; I don’t take that in my court,” the judge was quoted to have said.

In an earlier submission, Abba Mohammed, the prosecuting counsel, asked the court for an adjournment to enable him to study the counter affidavits filed by the defence in opposition to the application for the amendment of the charge.

“You should also know that in my court I don’t read processes. If you need time to serve processes, it must reach me on time, and your colleague must also be duly aware in time”, the judge said.

The presiding judge adjourned the matter till November 28 for a ruling on the adoption of the application.

The EFCC is prosecuting Agunloye over a $6 billion Mambilla hydropower contract.

The anti-graft agency said it traced some suspicious payments made by Sunrise Power and Transmission Ltd., a private firm, to Agunloye’s bank accounts.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo also challenged Agunloye to tell Nigerians where he derived the authority to award a $6 billion contract to Sunrise for the Mambilla hydropower project in 2003.