The Supreme Court has set aside the conviction of a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Joseph Nwobike.
Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, leading a five-member panel of the apex court, upheld Mr Nwobike’s appeal and voided decisions of the Lagos High Court and the Court of Appeal, Lagos.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had charged Nwobike with attempt to pervert the course of justice by exchanging messages with a court’s registrar on the assignment of his cases and when such cases should be heard.
The apex court said, inter alia, that the courts erred in the judgements, noting that Section 97(c) of Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL) of Lagos State, under which the lawyer was charged, did not clearly define what constitutes perversion of justice.
It added that the EFCC lacks the power to investigate and prosecute the offence of perversion of the course of justice.
