N10bn fraud: Court registrar faces probe over alleged exhibit tampering

Court

Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja, has ordered the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services to investigate alleged tampering with exhibits in an ongoing N10bn fraud trial.

The judge made the order on Thursday following a disclosure that the court’s registrar, Nasiru Zubairu, allegedly colluded with the second defendant, Daudu Sulaiman, to delete WhatsApp messages from a mobile phone admitted as exhibits in the case.

The revelation, according to a statement issued by the spokesman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Dele Oyewale, came after Justice Omotosho informed parties in open court that the registrar had privately confessed to him that the defendant approached him with an inducement to interfere with the exhibits.

Justice Omotosho said the disclosure was in line with the Federal High Court’s policy of discovery and disclosure, stressing that the judiciary has zero tolerance for any conduct capable of undermining the integrity of judicial proceedings. “I have to disclose it because that is what the Chief Judge directed—that such matters must be disclosed early. We have a policy of discovery and disclosure at the Federal High Court, and we have zero tolerance for this kind of conduct. The person involved is here; I will call him so that you will hear from the horse’s mouth,” the judge was quoted as saying.

In open court, Justice Omotosho played an audio recording of Zubairu’s confession and directed the registrar to explain the circumstances surrounding the alleged tampering.

Addressing the court, Zubairu admitted that Sulaiman offered to assist him with accommodation in exchange for deleting certain WhatsApp messages contained on the mobile phone tendered as exhibits N and O.

Following the disclosure, the judge granted the Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), permission to lead the investigating officer, Muhammed Abubakar, an operative of the EFCC, to determine whether the alleged deletion had occurred. Punch