FG drops forgery charges against Senate President, Deputy

The Federal Government has completed plans to withdraw the charge of criminal conspiracy against Senate President

According to a report by Premium Times, the FG through the Federal Ministry of Justice has filed a motion to withdraw the charges.

It was further reported that an affidavit in support of the motion was filed before the High Court of Federal Capital Territory on by Odubu Loveme, a litigation officer from the Ministry.

Though Saraki and Ekweremadu, as well as a former Clerk of the National Assembly, Salisu Maikasuwa, and a former Deputy clerk, Ben Efeturi, were first arraigned for forgery charges, the newly filed motion will see only Maikasuwa and Efeturi facing porsecution.

In the motion filed on Thursday, Loveme said counsel to the Federal Government on the matter, Aliyu Umar, had studied the case diary and had decided to amend the charge.

Both Maikasuwa and Efeturi are being charged for accepting to do an illegal act of amending the Senate Standing Orders 2015 without the authority of the 7th Senate of the Federal republic of Nigeria.

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The two civil servants are accused of fraudulently amending the 2015 Senate Standing Orders without the authority of the 7th Senate “ with intention that the Senators elect of the 8th Senate would believe that the said Senate Standing Orders 2015 ( as amended) was made by the authority of the 7th Senate of the Federal republic of Nigeria.”

The act is considered as a criminal conspiracy punishable under section 97 (1) Penal Code Act ( Northern States) Federation Provisions Act, 1960, Cap 345, laws of the Federation 1990 as amended.

Maikasuwa and Efeturi are also accused of forging a document punishable under section 366 of the Penal Code Act ( Northern States) Federal Provisions Act, 1960, Cap 345, Laws of the Federation 1990 ( as amended).