FG Withdraws Case against Ribadu
From Funso Muraina in Abuja, 04.01.2010

In what is seen as a prelude to his appointment as Special Adviser to the Acting President on Anti-Corruption, the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation has applied to the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) for the withdrawal of the case of non-declaration of assets instituted against the former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.
It is not yet clear if the current EFCC Chair, Mrs Farida Waziri, will report to him if he is eventually appointed by Acting President Goodluck Jonathan.

At the CCT sitting in Abuja yesterday, the AGF, represented by the Special Assistant on Litigation, Dr. J. O. Olatoke, stated that his application for withdrawal of the case had nothing to do with a new application the defence counsel intended to submit for CCT to strike out the case.
The defence counsel, Mr. Femi Falana, represented by Mr. Samuel Ogalla, had earlier made known to the Acting Chairman of the Tribunal, Justice Murtala A. Sani (SAN), his intention to submit an application to the CCT to strike out the case against his client.
Ogalla’s application was rejected by Justice Sani based on the fact that the tribunal had no substantive chairman and therefore could not take a new motion but could only attend to non-controversial matters.

Justice Sani then advised the prosecuting counsel to formalise his application for withdrawal of the case for proper documentation at its next sitting on Thursday, April 8, 2010.
Speaking after the sitting on what prompted the withdrawal of the case, the prosecuting counsel said before the dissolution of the cabinet, “the former Attorney-General of the Federation, Prince Adetokunbo Kayode (SAN), reviewed the cases on ground and directed that this case should be withdrawn”.

Olatoke said the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria vested in the AGF the power of nolle prosequi to discontinue any criminal prosecution at any stage of the case and that it is within the prerogative of AGF under the constitution to decide the cases he wants to prosecute.
Ribadu had praised the elevation of Jonathan to the position of acting president in February, adding that the resolution of the National Assembly indicated that things were changing for the better in the country.

The former EFCC chairman also said he was ready to return to the country to be part of the process of reconstruction desperately needed in the society.
THISDAY had reported in February that the Federal Government was wooing Ribadu and was ready to drop the “trumped-up” charges against him, in addition to restoring Ribadu’s rank, who was demoted by two ranks from Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) to Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) before he was finally dismissed for going AWOL (away without official leave) after failing to report for duty in Edo State.

The police disciplinary committee that recommended his dismissal was headed by Ogbonna Onovo, who is now the Inspector General of Police (IG).
When Ribadu was denied his certificate by the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) for failing to wear his police uniform - which would have meant donning his demoted rank and subsequently challenged the demotion in court at the time - it was Jonathan who ordered NIPSS to release his certificate.


http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=169859

This guy is surely coming back since the case instituted against him which is largely political has been withdrawn.

Days of official support for looters are over!

They're luring him back! Uncle J, slow and steady wins the race.