Alleged Money Laundering: Supreme Court Rejects Jailed Senator’s Request For Bail

The Supreme Court has dismissed an application for post-conviction bail brought by a serving senator representing Delta North, Peter Nwaoboshi, who was jailed for seven years on money laundering charges.

While dismissing his application, a five-member panel of the apex court, noted that Nwaoboshi’s conduct was a slap on democracy and the rule of law.

Justice Emmanuel Agim wondered why Nwaoboshi, who refused to submit himself to the law, was now seeking the indulgence of the law.

Justice Agim noted that being a serving senator and the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for senator of Delta North ought to be an assurance that he is law-abiding and will readily submit to the authority of the law.

He added that despite the fact that Nwaoboshi has an appeal pending before the court, his application could not be granted because of the undisputed fact that he is in Nigeria, but has continued to devise means to frustrate the subsisting custodial sentence imposed on him by the court of appeal.

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In his contribution, Justice Tijani Abubakar described Nwaoboshi’s conduct as sad and a slap on the rule of law.

Justice Abubakar wondered why a lawmaker of the status of a senator would find it difficult to obey the law he participated in enacting.

The court subsequently dismissed his application, describing it as frivolous, vexatious and irritating.

The Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, had in a judgment on July 1st last year convicted and sentenced Nwaoboshi on the charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Rather than serve the jail term, Nwaoboshi went underground.

While still in hiding, Nwaoboshi filed an appeal against his conviction and sentence, along with the application with which he sought to be granted bail pending the determination of his appeal.