Senate President, Bukola Saraki, his deputy, Senator Ike Ekweremadu and two others, may be appear before a Federal High Court in Abuja, over alleged criminal conspiracy and forgery of the Senate Standing Rules, 2015.
The Federal Government had, through the office of the Attorney General filed the charges the top Senate officers as well as former Clerk of the National Assembly, Alhaji Salisu Abubakar Maikasuwa and his deputy, Mr. Benedict Efeturi.
The case file against the four accused persons with suit No. CR/219/16 has since been assigned to Justice Yusuf Haliru of the Federal High Court, Abuja before whom they are to be arraigned tomorrow.
In the affidavit attached to the case file, which was filed on June 10, 2016, the investigative police officer swore that the investigation into the case had been concluded.
The two count charges read: “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 Arms Zone, Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this 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.
“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 Arms Zone, Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this 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 with the procedure for amendment of the Senate Order. You thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 364 of the Penal Code Law.”
It would be recalled that some lawmakers under the aegis of the Senate Unity Forum (SUF) petitioned the police, alleging forgery of the Senate Standing Rules 2015 that produced Saraki and his deputy, Ekweremadu.
The police then invited former Senate President David Mark and Senator Ekweremadu.
They were first summoned by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Force Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department in July 2015, to answer questions over their roles in the alleged forgery of Senate rules.
Also invited by the police were the former Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba and Senator Ita Enang, who served as chairman, Committee on Rules and Business in the Seventh Senate.
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