N3.1bn alleged fraud: Judge withdraws from Suswam’s trial

From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
A Federal High Court Judge sitting in Abuja, Justice Ahmed  Mohammed, yesterday, washed his hands off the  trial of former Benue State governor, Dr. Gabriel Suswam in the alleged N3.1billion fraud, money laundering and breach of trust.
The judge withdrew from adjudicating over the matter   following  allegation by an online medium, Sahara Reporters, that he  had received bribe from the former governor to give judgment in his favour.
When the trial came up yesterday, Justice Mohammed raised the issue of publication by Sahara Reporters and the allegation, which he said, has brought disrepute to his image and that of the Federal High Court as an institution in the eyes of ordinary Nigerians. Justice Mohammed, who was irked by the allegations, added that the court has been caught in between two devils because wherever the pendulum of his decision swings at the end of the trial, the issue of the publication could be used to justify or rubbish the outcome of the trial.
Accordingly, he said it was in the interest of justice that he stepped down from the trial for another judge to adjudicate the trial in the interest of the public.
After announcing  his withdrawal from the trial, he said he was going to return  the case file  to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice Ibrahim Auta, for reassignment to another judge.
Counsel to the Federal Government, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN) and counsel to Suswam, Mr. Joseph Daudu (SAN) said the publication was the handiwork of mischief-makers who are bent on frustrating the trial.
They asked the court not to receive the publication with seriousness, stressing that they are faceless and urged him not to be provoked by the publication in the interest of the trial.