Supreme Court To Accelerate Hearing In Case Of Jailed Senator

The Supreme Court has agreed to promptly hear an appeal by a serving lawmaker, Peter Nwaoboshi who was sentenced to seven years imprisonment.

Nwaoboshi currently represents Delta North Senatorial District in the ninth National Assembly.

The Court of Appeal in Lagos in July 2022 convicted and sentenced the lawmaker to seven years imprisonment along with his two companies, Golden Touch Construction Project Ltd and Suiming Electrical Ltd, for laundering N322 million in 2014.

Nwaoboshi, however, challenged the judgement before the Supreme Court.

In a ruling, a five-member panel of the apex court led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Olukayode Ariwoola granted Nwaoboshi’s prayer that his appeal be brought forward and heard promptly.

Justice Ariwoola, in the lead ruling, said Nwaoboshi’s application, having not been opposed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other respondents, should be granted as prayed.

The CJN subsequently rescheduled the hearing of the appeal for February 9, 2023 as against the earlier date of November 21, 2024.

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Counsel for Nwaoboshi and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Kanu Agabi noted that his client is a serving Senator, who is also contesting in the 2023 general elections.

Agabi added that it was imperative that Nwaoboshi’s appeal is heard on time to prevent a situation where he is made to serve jail term only for his appeal to succeed when it is eventually heard.

Counsel for the EFCC, Abba Mohammed and other lawyers in the case did not oppose the application, following which the court gave its ruling.