Tarfa, SAN paid N225,000 into Mohammed Awwal Yunusa account

(Nigeria) Lagos lawyer, Mr Rickey Tarfa, SAN, who initiated a N2.5 billion fundamental rights suit against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in which he is challenging his arrest and detention, as well the seizure of his phone and car, has told a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, that the N225,000 allegedly paid into Justice Mohammed Yunusa of a Federal High Court, Lagos, was a lie, as the said money was paid into the account of a former staff of the chambers, Mohammed Awwal Yunusa.

In an affidavit of urgency deposed to by Head of Chambers, Rickey Tarfa SAN and Co., Mr. Segun Odubela, he averred that a former staff of the chambers, Mohammed Awwal Yunusa, an indigene of Kogi State was the owner of the Access bank account the EFCC had earlier averred belonged to Justice Yunusa, where its alleged a sum of N225,000 was paid in by Rickey Tarfa as bribe.

Mr. Odubela averred that Mohammed Yunusa was following the case of his former employer through media outlets where he immediately noticed that the account No. 0060351694 referred to in the counter affidavit as filed by EFCC in response to the substantive suit  was his account number.

Mohammed Awwal Yunusa  in his own deposition, averred that he recalled that a Rickey Tarfa's Access bank counter cheque No. 00002065 dated January 7, 2014 for N225,000 was issued to him and he was paid as he collected the value in his Access bank account No 0060351694 held in his name, Mohammed Awwal Yunusa.

He further averred that at the Abuja office at No 2, Librevile Street Off Aminu Kano Crescent Wuse II, Abuja on February 22, 2016,  he was contacted by the office accountant, Mr. Samaila  Malgwi, who had checked the office records and informed him that the cheque issued to him for N225,000 was the only cheque issued by Rickey Tarfa and Co. on January 7, 2014.

In a motion on notice brought pursuant to sections 33, 34, 35, 37, 41, 44 and 46 of the constitution 1999 as amended, Articles 2, 4, 6, 7, 9 and 12(1) of the African Charter on Human and People's Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) ACT CAP 10, LFN,1990, Tarfa is praying the court for an order granting him leave to re-open and adduce further evidence by way of a further and better affidavit of Mr. Mohammed Awwal Yunusa in the case.

Specifically, he asked the court for an order granting leave to him to use a further and better affidavit of Mr. Mohammed Awwal Yunusa in support of the application for enforcement of his fundamental rights in this case.

The applicant asked the court for an order deeming the further and better affidavit of Mr. Mohammed Awwal Yunusa already filed, served and before the court as having been properly filed and served.

It will be recalled that One Moses Awolusi of the EFCCC had averred in a paragraph 54 counter affidavit that investigations carried out by it into the applicant's firm's (Rickey Tarfa and Co) Access bank account with account No. 0000964760 shows that before the institution of the above proceeding particularly on January 7, 2014 the applicant bribed Justice  Yunusa with the sum of N225,000.