By Lukman Olabiyi
Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High, Lagos has fixed December 21 for the ruling on the no- case submission filed by Abdullahi Babalele, the son-in-law of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who is standing trial on offence bordering on money laundering and conspiracy to the tune of $140,000.
Justice Aneke fixed the date after Babalele’s lawyer, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, and the prosecution’s counsel, Usman Buhari, adopted their respective final addresses. Babalele was re-arraigned on Thursday, October 8, 2019 on a two-count charge bordering on money laundering to the tune of $140,000.00.
He pleaded “not guilty” to the charge preferred against him, thereby prompting his trial. The prosecution called two witnesses and closed its case on November 25, 2020, several documents were tendered and dmitted in evidence by the court in the course of the trial.
At the resumed sitting yesterday, counsel to the defendant, Ozekhome, urged the court to uphold the defendant’s no-case submission dated November 27, 2020, urging the court to hold that the defendant “has no case to answer at all to be called upon to enter any defence in the case.”