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The Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, has discharged and acquitted a former
Director General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety
Agency, NIMASA, Patrick Akpobolokemi, who was charged with an alleged
fraud of N2.6bn.
A three-man appellate court panel led by Justice Yargatta Nimpar, upheld a
no-case submission filed by Akpolokemi in response to the criminal
charges.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had on December 4, 2015
arraigned Akpobolokemi alongside five others for allegedly diverting
N2.6bn from the coffers of NIMASA between December 2013, and May 2015.
The funds, the anti-graft agency claimed, were approved by ex-President
Goodluck Jonathan for the implementation of a security project, tagged,
“International Ship and Ports Security Code in Nigeria Ports.”
Arguing Akpobolokemi’s no-case submission, his counsel Nwobike contended
that the EFCC failed to link his client with the alleged diversion of
funds from NIMASA. Nwobike pointed out that his signature to such effect
was never shown to the court.
He said that the first accused could not be held liable because he did not
approve the security project and the money disbursed. Nwobike also
described the evidence given against the accused by the prosecution
witness as mere hearsay, which he said, had no legal weight before the
court.
In videos that went viral in 2015, Akpobolokemi, after being released from
the prison custody after a bail of N50m granted him by Justice Buba, was
viciously re-arrested by security operatives in the court premises.
He resisted the move and was pushed, overpowered and bundled into a
waiting bus by security operatives, while his lawyer, Dr. Joseph Nwobike
(SAN), looked on helplessly.
Those tried along with Akpobolokemi are Ezekiel Agaba, Ekene Nwakuche,
Governor Juan, Blockz and Stonz Limited and Al-Kenzo Logistic Limited.
But the defendants pleaded not guilty to the 22 charges pressed against them.