Ikuforiji Wants 20-Count Charge Quashed

Adeyemi Ikuforiji

Adeyemi Ikuforiji, Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly

The Speaker of Lagos State House of Assembly, standing trial before a Federal High Court I Lagos, Mr. Adeyemi Sabit Ikuforiji, has filed an application before the court to quash all the 20-count charge preferred against him.

Adeyemi Ikuforiji, Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly

The Speaker said the Act of the Assembly of Lagos being an arm of Lagos State cannot be subjected to the criminal jurisdiction of the Federal High Court. He argued as follows:

The Speaker of House of Assembly of Lagos State is by virtue of section 92 (1) and 95 (1) of the constitution, the presiding officer of the House of Assembly and the Principal Officer of the House of Assembly whose acts are deemed the act of the Assembly;

In so far as the Speaker was charged in his capacity as the Speaker of the Lagos House of Assembly, it amounts to a criminal indictment of the House of Assembly of Lagos State;

In so far as all the counts contained in the charge alleged that the accused person accepted cash payment from the House of Assembly, the constitutional immunity enjoyed by the House of Assembly attached to the transactions;

Consequently, the proof of evidence do not disclose a prima face case against the Speaker.

Related News

Therefore, the court lacks jurisdiction to try the case.

The Personal Assistant to the Speaker, Oyebode Alade Toyebi also filed an application urging the court to quash the charge preferred against him or in the alternative strike out the criminal charge, as far as he was charged in his capacity as the Personal Assistant to the Speaker of Lagos House of Assembly, as a staff and also an officer of Lagos House of Assembly. He argued that the charge amounts to criminal indictment of the House of Assembly of Lagos State.

Lead counsel to the Speaker, Tayo Oyetibo, SAN, urged the court to allow the parties to file written addresses.

The presiding judge, Justice Okechukwu Okeke, while adjourning the matter till 26 April, ordered both Aderemi Adekile hold the brief of Chief Obla who was absent in court today, and defence counsel, Oyetibo to file written addresses.

Justice Okeke also ordered that the defence counsel to both accused persons should file joint written addresses.

—Akin Kuponiyi

Load more