Nigeria's Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki and his deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu are now live in court to face trial on alleged criminal conspiracy and forgery of the Senate Standing Rules, 2015.
Over their alleged forgery scandal, the embattled Senate President, Bukola Saraki and his deputy Ike Ekweremadu, have arrived at the Federal High Court at the federal capital territory (FCT) in Abuja at 8:48am in company of at least 30 senators who came in two Coaster buses and a string of cars.
After a series of failed attempts to get them to court, Yusuf Haliru, the judge, on June 21, ordered that they be served the court summons through substituted means. The summons was then pasted on the notice board of the national assembly, ordering them to come before the court on Monday.
Senate President, Bukola Saraki, his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, Salisu Maikasuwa, former clerk of the national assembly, and Benedict Efeturi, his deputy, are all facing charges of alleged criminal conspiracy and forgery of the senate standing rules, 2015, brought against them by the federal government.
Count one of the charge reads: “That you Salisu Abubakar Maikasuwa, Benedict Efeturi, Dr. Olubukola Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu on or about the 9th of June, 2015, at the National Assembly Complex, Three Arm Zone, Abuja within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired amongst yourselves, to forge the Senate Standing Order, 2011 (as amended) and you thereby committed the offence of Conspiracy, punishable under Section 97 (1) of the Penal Code Law.”
Count two reads: “That you Salisu Abubakar Maikasuwa, Benedict Efeturi, Dr. Olubukola Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu on or about the 9th of June, 2015, at the National Assembly Complex, Three Arm Zone, Abuja within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with fraudulent intent forged the Senate Standing Order 2011 (as amended) causing it to be believed as the genuine Standing Order, 2015 and circulated same for use during the inauguration of the 8th Senate of the National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, when you knew that the said Order was not made in compliance the procedure for amendment of the Senate Order, you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code Law.”