Nigeria Federal Government on Thursday filed a motion to drop charges of criminal conspiracy and forgery of Senate Standing Orders 2015 against Senate President Bukola Saraki and his Deputy, Ike Ekweremadu.
A litigation officer from the Federal Ministry of Justice, Odubu Loveme filed an affidavit in support of the motion to drop the charges against the two principal officer of National Assembly before the High Court of Federal Capital Territory.
Saraki, Ekweremadu, a former Clerk of the National Assembly, Salisu Maikasuwa, and a former Deputy clerk, Ben Efeturi, were on 20 June arraigned before Justice Yusuf Halilu of Federal Capital Territory High Court, Jabi on charges of forgery of the senate standing order used to elect principal officers of the Senate in June 2016.
They pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The Federal Government said in the motion it filed on Thursday that it has studied the case diary and had decided to amend the charge by removing Saraki and Ekweremadu among the accused.
It added that Maikasuwa and Efeturi would continue to face trial over the case.
“That I depose to this affidavit in good faith believing same to be correct to the best of my knowledge and information and in accordance with the Oaths Act Cap 01 laws of the Federation of Nigeria,” he affirmed.
Count 1 of the charge against the two civil servants, is that of Criminal Conspiracy punishable under section 97 (1) Penal Code Act ( Northern States) Federation Provisions Act, 1960, Cap 345, laws of the Federation 1990 as amended.
It reads: that Salisu Maikasuwa and Benedict Efeturi, on or about the 9th day of June 2015 at the National Assembly Complex, Three Arms Zone, Abuja within the jurisdiction of this honourable court agreed to do an illegal act, to wit to make the Senate Standing Orders 2015 as amended without the authority of the 7th Senate of the Federal republic of Nigeria which act was committed by yourselves and that you thereby committed the offence of criminal conspiracy.
Federal Government accused the civil servants of fraudulently amending the 2015 Senate Standing Orders without the authority of the 7th Senate “with intention that the Senators elect of the 8th Senate would believe that the said Senate Standing Orders 2015 (as amended) was made by the authority of the 7th Senate of the Federal republic of Nigeria.”
Efeturi and Maikasuwa were also accused of forgery, an act punishable under section 366 of the Penal Code Act (Northern States) Federal Provisions Act, 1960, Cap 345, Laws of the Federation 1990 (as amended) and giving false information with the intention to mislead the public.