Court orders Saraki be arrested with immediate effect!

The Conduct Tribunal in Abuja has ordered the arrest of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, for failing to appear on Friday as the tribunal commenced hearing of a 13-count charge of alleged corruption against him.
The chairman of the tribunal, Danladi Umar, issued a bench warrant against Mr. Saraki, brushing aside a Federal High Court order seeking to stop Mr. Saraki’s arraignment.
Mr. Saraki had on Thursday obtained a Federal High Court order directing that the case against him be halted.
On Friday, the prosecution counsel, Muslim Hassan, asked the
tribunal to order his arrest for failing to appear before it, arguing
that the high court had parallel jurisdiction with the tribunal and
as such, had no powers to halt a trial of the tribunal.
Mr. Saraki’s lawyer, Joseph Daudu, however, prayed the tribunal to
adjourn the case until after the Federal High Court sitting on
Monday.
But the tribunal chairman granted
the prayer of the prosecutor.
The Code of Conduct Bureau had slammed a 13-count charge of
corruption on Mr. Saraki.
He is accused of offences ranging from anticipatory declaration of assets to making false declaration of assets in forms he filed before the Code of Conduct Bureau while he was governor of
Kwara state.
According to the charges, the Senate President is also accused of failing to declare some assets he acquired while in office as governor.
Among other offences, including allegedly acquiring assets beyond his legitimate earnings, Mr. Saraki is also accused of operating foreign accounts while being a public officer – governor and senator.
The offences, the charge said, violated sections of the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended.
Mr. Saraki is also said to have breached Section 2 of the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act and punishable under paragraph 9 of the said Fifth Schedule of the Constitution.
The charges were prepared by M.S. Hassan, a deputy director in the office of the Attorney
General of the Federation.

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