Court rejects suspended NBC DG Kawu, others no case submission

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Wednesday rejected the no-case submission made by the suspended Director-General of National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Ishaq Kawu Modibbo, and two others in respect of the alleged N2.5 billion fraud charge brought against them by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

Moddibo Kawu, Pinnacle Communications Limited, its Chairman, Lucky Omoluwa, and the firm’s Chief Operating Officer, Dipo Onifade were alleged, to have misappropriated the N2.5b in the course of disbursing the seed grant for Federal Government’s Digital Switch-Over (DSO) project.

The presiding Judge, Justice Folashade Giwa-Ogunbanjo in a ruling on Wednesday, ordered them to enter their defence in the case.

The judge rejected the defendants’ argument that the prosecution was unable to establish a prima facie case against them.

With an application moved by the prosecution, the judge deleted the name of Omoluwa, who died some months ago, from the charge.

In her ruling on Wednesday, Justice Giwa-Ogunbanjo, held that, with the evidence led by the prosecution, there was the need for the court to call on the defendants to respond to the allegations made against them.

The judge later adjourned till July 1 for the first defendant to open his case.