2nd March, 2011
A female student of the University of Abuja, Miss Lesley Hart, on Tuesday told an Abuja High Court that Alhaji Mohammed Akoyi, a judge of the Upper Area Court, Gwagwalada, demanded N50,000 as bribe, reports the News Agency of Nigeria.
Akoyi and Abdullahi Wodi, the Registrar of the Upper Area Court, are facing charges bordering on criminal conspiracy filed by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC.
The duo were charged to court on 10 August, 2009 for allegedly violating provisions of the ICPC Act 2000.
The charge sheet with reference number FCT/HC/CR/59/09, indicated that Akoyi and Wodi allegedly violated Section 15(a)-(c) and 16(1) (a) of the ICPC Act 2000 by making false entry into the record of the court proceedings with the intent to conceal the crime of corruption.
Hart responded to questions from the Prosecuting Counsel, Mr Malik Ado at the resumed hearing in the court presided over by Justice Ishaq Bello.
She said that Akoyi had made the demands from her in 2006 because he was presiding over a case of harassment by her former landlord, who seized her belongings, after he increased her house rent.
Hart said that Wodi (the registrar) told her that the upper area court judge asked him to collect the amount before her belongings would be released to her.
Bello adjourned the case till 15 March for the prosecution to present another witness.