Court Jails Lawyer 2 Years For Soliciting N4m Bribe

Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja has convicted and sentenced a lawyer, Taiwo Oreagba to two years imprisonment for soliciting N4 million bribe.

Justice Taiwo jailed Oreagba after she found Oreagba guilty of soliciting the money to influence the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

In her judgment, the judge held that the convict failed to counter the content of a voice recording wherein she was heard bragging that she would use the N4 million, to bribe the EFCC officials for a soft landing for her client.

The judge sentenced Oreagba to two years imprisonment for the offence of corrupt demand by a person but discharged her on the second count of obtaìning money under false pretence.

Oreagba was first arraigned before the court on November 12, 2020, for the alleged offence by the anti-graft agency before Justice Sherifat Solebo of the same court.

She, however, pleaded not guilty to a two-count charge bordering on alleged corrupt demand and obtaining the N4 million under false pretence.

Oreagba, who was representing one Kelechi Uka, who was under probe by the EFCC, was alleged to have collected the N4 million from one Henry Umoh supposedly to influence EFCC agents to secure Uka’s release.

But, during trial, Justice Solebo recused herself from hearing the case and it was sent back to the chief judge for reassignment.

The case was then assigned to Justice Taiwo.

Oreagba was re-arraigned on the two counts and the trial commenced before Justice Taiwo in October 2022.

Justice Taiwo, in her judgment, condemned Oreagba’s boast that she could influence law enforcement officers and that she could influence the assignment of cases to judges in the Lagos State Judiciary.