The Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos, has declined an application by Lagos State Attorney General Lawal Pedro (SAN) to discontinue the trial of Azubuike Ishekwene and Olalekan Abdul. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting them for an alleged N1.35 billion fraud.
Both defendants, former Managing Director of Cleanserve Integrated Energy Solutions Limited, Azubuike Ishekwene, and Olalekan Abdul, have pleaded not guilty and were granted bail. The matter took an unexpected turn when a disagreement ensued between Justice Mojisola Dada and defence counsel Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika (SAN) during court proceedings.
Pedro had earlier filed for discontinuance after an unsuccessful attempt to take over the prosecution from the EFCC. However, the court session resumed on Wednesday to rule on the preliminary objection filed in response to the discontinuance request.
Partial Discharge and Continuing Counts
Justice Dada, in her ruling, discharged the first and second defendants on 20 out of the 26 charges brought against them under Lagos State laws. However, the court maintained that the defendants must continue to defend themselves on the remaining six counts brought under the Advance Fee Fraud Act and the EFCC Act.
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Following the ruling, Olumide-Fusika requested that the case be stood down for 30 minutes before attempting to make an oral application for his client’s acquittal on the remaining charges. The judge denied his application, leading to a heated exchange between the senior lawyer and the judge.
Courtroom Drama: Allegations of Disrespect
During the back-and-forth, Justice Dada accused Olumide-Fusika of being “lousy” and “rude,” an accusation the SAN vehemently denied. The exchange, witnessed by the courtroom, saw both sides repeatedly engaging on issues of court procedure and decorum.
At one point, Olumide-Fusika insisted, “At least, it would be on record that I made the application,” while the judge responded, “I will consider it in the final judgment.”
The exchange escalated when Justice Dada accused the senior lawyer of shouting and disrespecting the court. Olumide-Fusika, maintaining his calm demeanor, responded that he was merely performing his duty as a lawyer and making an application as allowed under the court rules.
Defence Counsel’s Stance
Olumide-Fusika argued that the judge had earlier ordered the discharge of the second defendant and maintained that he was entitled to make an application for acquittal based on the court’s rulings. He also contended that the court had committed an error in not addressing his application.
Justice Dada, while standing by her decision, instructed the defence counsel to “watch his language” and warned him about being “lousy.” Olumide-Fusika, however, stressed that he would not be intimidated in court.
“I have been very calm, but I am also not the kind of lawyer that can be intimidated,” Olumide-Fusika asserted. “Your lordship cannot tell me not to make an application, and then tell me I’m rude because I said I want to make an application.”
The court adjourned the matter to October 31, with Justice Dada concluding the session while the SAN was still presenting his arguments.
