by Dolapo Adelana

An operative of the Department of State Services (DSS) has told an FCT High Court that a lawyer representing President Muhammadu Buhari before Justice Adeniyi Ademola once gave a gift of N500,000 to the judge while having a case before the judge.

According to Daily Trust, the operative, Babatunde Adepoju, stated this under cross examination by Barrister Jeph Njikonye.

Adepoju said the DSS discovered the development during investigation.

While answering questions, he told the court that while interviewing Joe Agi, SAN (the 3rd defendant), he was told that President Buhari’s lawyer, Kola Awodehin (SAN) also passed a gift of N500,000 to Justice Ademola during the wedding of his daughter.

Speaking further, he said Agi declared that the gift of N30million his (Agi) client gave him to give Justice Ademola was not the only wedding gift the judge received.

Adepoju said according to Agi, Awodehin gave the gift to Justice Ademola at a time when Buhari’s certificate suit was pending before the judge. He said he however did not investigate Agi’s claim.

Njikonye tendered the certified true copy of the record of proceedings in the suit between Chukwu Okafor vs General Muhammad Buhari and it was admitted in evidence as Exhibit FFF.

Looking at the document, the witness confirmed that the third counsel for Buhari in the suit was Kola Awodehin. He also confirmed the suit was before Justice Ademola.

When asked if President Buhari was bribing Justice Ademola since he had a case before the judge, the witness said, “No. In my opinion, it would be speculative to say the gift by President Buhari’s lawyer was a bribe to Justice Ademola. It is not a bribe.”