.As ICPC Moves After Him
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, (ICPC) has dragged the APC candidate for the Ideato north and South Federal Constituency in the 2023 general election to the Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja in a bid to overturn the upholding of a no-case submission held by the High Court.
In the Appeal No 786/2019 of which all the records have now been transmitted to the Court of Appeal, the ICPC is of the strong belief that its three grounds of appeal are enough to upturn the High Court ruling and for Mr. Abazu Chika Benson to be convicted.
In a copy of the six-count charge filed at the High Court and which was sighted by newsmen, the ICPC alleged in count one that Abazu Chika Benson on 14th April, 2014 while being a public officer asked for and received the sum of N10,000,000 from a contractor as gratification thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 10(a)(i) of the ICPC Act which is punishable with imprisonment for 7 years. The contractor who already gave evidence testified that Mr. Abazu informed him that the N10, 000, 000:00 bribe was for the “First Lady”.
With the facts of the Appeal now made public, political stakeholders in Ideato are of the view that Mr. Abazu is unelectable and that the Appeal had made it easy for them to reach that conclusion.
The proof of evidence attached by the ICPC further showed that while still a public servant and against the code of conduct for Public Officers, Mr. Abazu registered the Company Transtell Nigeria Limited through which he collected the alleged bribes and was the sole signatory to the account of the company.
No date has been fixed for the hearing of the appeal but lawyers to whom the Notice of Appeal had been shown alongside the record of appeal are optimistic that the appeal will succeed as prima facie case had been made against Abazu and that he would be in the dock sooner than later.
Meanwhile, all calls made to Abazu were not picked. But a close source to Abazu who spoke to this Newspaper said that Abazu is clean of all the allegations leveled against him, adding that political detractors are after Abazu, and will soon be shamed, as their allegations hold no water.
