The Federal High Court in Lagos has consolidated the alleged $2million money laundering trial of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s lawyer, Uyiekpen Giwa-Osagie, with the alleged $150 million laundering case of his son-in-law, Abdullahi Babalele.
Both cases will be prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, before the same judge, Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke.
Uyiepken and his younger brother Erhunse were arraigned before a vacation judge, Justice Nicholas Oweibo, on August 14, on a three-count charge of conspiracy and laundering of $2million. They pleaded not guilty.
Upon resumption from the court’s long vacation, the EFCC re-arraigned the men before Justice Chuka Obiozor, on the same charge.
Before their pleas could be taken, the defendants through their counsel, Ahmed Raji and Norrison Quakers, SANs, brought applications seeking a consolidation of their charge with that of Babalele.
Babalele is standing trial before Justice Aneke for allegedly laundering $140, 000 in the build up to the 2019 presidential election.
Giwa-Osagie told Justice Obiozor that they had written a letter to the Federal High Court’s Chief Registrar for a consolidation of the charge with Babalele’s.
After taking their pleas, Justice Obiozor granted them bail and returned the case file to the court’s registry.
The Chief Registrar has now reassigned the case to Justice Aneke.
