SENIOR ADVOCATE OF NIGERIA CONVICTED TO ONE MONTH IN PRISON
He, however, pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to him.
Justice Raliat Adebiyi, however, found the lawyer not guilty on offences of offering gratification to a judicial officer and making false declaration to an officer of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), but sentenced him to one month in prison for attempting to pervert the course of justice.
The defendant was convicted on 12 counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice. The maximum penalty on each count of perverting justice is two years jail term. But the judge used her discretion and refused to punish the lawyer with the maximum penalty allowed.
“The defendant is hereby sentenced to one month of 30 days on each count for attempting to pervert the course of justice’,Adebiyi declared, adding that she handed down the sentence to serve as a deterrent to others.
Adebiyi explained that, the prosecution, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), proved beyond reasonable doubt that Nwobike attempted to pervert the course of justice by transferring money into the bank account of a serving federal judge.
Penpushing reports that, Nwobike was conferred the title of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria in 2010, after almost 20 years of legal practice. His conviction came amidst ongoing trials of fellow senior lawyers – Godwin Obla and Rickey Tarfa – over similar offences before federal and state courts.
