BEVERLY HILLS, June 01, (THEWILL) – A judge of the National Industrial Court, James Agbadu-Fishim, has been dragged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, before a Lagos State High Court over charges of unlawful enrichment to the tune of N3.5 million.
EFCC alleged, in the charge sheet, that seven Senior Advocates of Nigeria, a Lagos-based lawyer, and a law firm paid the sum into Agbadu-Fishim’s First Bank account with number 3008199491 between 2013 and 2015.
The judge, according to the EFCC, allegedly received a total of N1.15 million from Felix Fagbohungbe between December 5, 2013, and February 26, 2015, and was allegedly paid a total of N700,000 in multiple tranches from Paul Usoro SAN between August 5, 2014, and March 26, 2015.
Other senior advocates who were said to have paid money into the judge’s bank account include: Adetola-Kazeem, who gave him N100,000 on February 10, 2015; and Uche Obi, who gave him N250,000 between October 17 and 20, 2013.
The rest are: Muiz Banire, who according to the EFCC, gave the judge N500,000 on June 20, 2013; and Adeniyi Akintola, who gave him N300,000 in two tranches of N200,000 and N100,000 on June 3, 2013, and February 26, 2015, respectively.
The anti-graft agency further claimed that the judge received a total of N250,000 from Joseph Nwobike SAN, in tranches of N150,000 and N100,000 on December 12, 2014, and September 10, 2015, respectively; while a Lagos-based lawyer, Enobong Etteh, allegedly transferred N200,000 to the judge on October 27, 2014.
The charge sheet further stated that
a law firm, Alliance Law Firm also paid N250,000 into the judge’s account on August 21, 2015, and that Justice Fishim received the money “so as to have a significant increase in your assets that you cannot reasonably explain the increase in relation to your lawful income”.
The EFCC alleged that the judge acted contrary to Section 82 (a) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, No.11, 2011.
Meanwhile, no date has been fixed for the hearing of the case.
