EFCC Vs Doma: Judge Warns EFCC Against Delaying Trial

The EFCC has been warned against delaying the trial between Aliyu Akwe Doma and nine others, and the Federal Government over an alleged N15 billion fraud.
The warning was issued on Monday in Lafia by Justice Okeke Agatha of the Federal High Court, sitting in Lafia following the failure by EFCC counsel, Mr Dele Adesina (SAN), to produce the fiat of the Attorney-General of the Federation delegating his powers for him to prosecute the case.
The judge, who gave the order at the last sitting of the case on Oct. 24, said that the EFCC had flouted the court order to produce the fiat, noting that the commission’s inability to produce the fiat had delayed the trial of the suspects.
“The court will not entertain any excuse in the next adjourned date.’’
The judge refused to grant the prayer of EFCC’s counsel to go ahead with the trial without the fiat.
In his submission, the EFCC counsel urged the court to go ahead with the trial and later appealed for extension of time to produce the fiat at the next adjourned date.
Adesina attributed a mix-up in the presence of another counsel, Mr Pin Hero (SAN) for EFCC to his chambers which sent him a different fiat.
He added that the fiat was issued to both himself and Hero to prosecute the matter.
The trial judge later adjourned the case to DEC. 10 and ordered the EFCC counsel to produce the fiat at the next adjourned date.
It will be recalled that the justice who took over from Justice Marcel Awokelehin had adjourned the case twice in the last one month.