Panic As Police Fresh Investigation Heavily INDICTS Saraki, Ekweremadu In Senate FORGERY SCANDAL

Palpable fear returned to the camp of the President of the Nigerian Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu over fresh indictment in the alleged Senate Forgery scandal, which they had earlier been exonerated.

The police, according to The Punch Newspaper, have submitted to the National Prosecution Coordination Committee, another report on the investigations into the alleged forgery of the Senate Standing Orders, 2015.

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The fresh report, it was gathered that the police indicted the President of the Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, and his deputy, Dr. Ike Ekweremadu, Punch Newspaper reports

The Special Investigation Panel, headed by the retired Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Ali Amodu, explained that a former Clerk to the National Assembly, Salisu Maikasuwa, could not have committed the alleged offence without the connivance of the two principal officers.

The SIP was set up by the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, to investigate high-profile cases.

The Federal Government had, on October 6, 2016, withdrawn the charges of criminal conspiracy relating to the alleged forgery of the Senate Standing Orders, 2015, filed against the Senate President and his deputy at an Abuja High Court.

The government, it was reported, had found out that the investigation was inconclusive and the evidence was not strong enough to sustain a diligent prosecution of the accused persons.

Following this discovery, the Ministry of Justice filed an application to amend the charges.

In the new charges, only Maikasuwa and a former deputy clerk, Mr. Ben Efeturi, were listed as the accused persons.

Saraki and Ekweremadu were earlier charged alongside Maikasuwa and Efeturi for allegedly forging the Senate Standing Orders, which were used for the inauguration of the Eight Senate.

All of them pleaded not guilty to the charges before Justice Yusuf Halilu and were granted bail on June 10, 2016.

Following the amendment of the charges, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), directed the police to conduct fresh investigations into the case.

Saraki, Ekweremadu may face conspiracy charge again.

The SIP had addressed the loopholes the AGF identified in the former report, a top Police Operative confided in our source

He said, “The police have concluded investigations into the case and submitted the report to the NPCC. This was done about a month ago.”

Giving an insight into the report, a top source at the Force Headquarters said, “Conspiracy is a very wide offence and Maikasuwa couldn’t have done what he did without the connivance of Saraki and Ekweremadu.

“There is no doubt about it; they were the beneficiaries and they have to be joined in the case.”

When asked if the panel made any recommendation for the prosecution of the beneficiaries of the forgery, he stated, “There is no need to make any recommendation to prosecute them because the investigation did not exonerate them.”

On the non-interrogation of Saraki and others by the former investigators, the source stated, “It is not totally out of point. It is for Saraki, Ekweremadu and others to defend themselves in court. The fact that they were not questioned did not mean they didn’t commit the offence as alleged. The circumstances were that the investigators could not reach them just like the way the House of Representatives leadership was dodging police summons on the budget padding probe.”

He added that the evidence and corrections made on the report had been sent to the AGF by the police.

He stated, “There were certain documents and evidence they asked us to fine-tune, which we did. We got all the necessary documents, including the Hansard, where publications were made and notices were given. We looked at the Hansard. Was there any amendment during the 7th Senate? There were no amendments; nothing was adopted during the 7th Senate. We got the papers and there was nothing like that.

“So, where did Ekweremadu and Maikasuwa derive their authority from when no amendment was done on the floor of the Senate?”

Another highly-placed source, who was familiar with the police probe, informed one of our correspondents on Saturday that the SIP was able to gather the necessary evidence about how the alleged forgery at the Senate was carried out.

The source said it was now up to the AGF and the NPCC to decide whether to re-arraign Saraki, Ekweremadu and others or not.

It was gathered that the detectives were able to verify the extent of amendment to the Senate Standing Orders 2011, the individuals who authorised it, and the official who ordered the printing of the Senate Standing Orders, 2015.

The source added, “The SIP, through painstaking efforts, was able to identify who distributed the printed copies of the Senate Standing Orders, 2015, to senators-elect and it also obtained the complete Hansard of June 9 and 24, 2015, which indicated what transpired on the floor of the Senate as well as other relevant evidence. These were issues the former probe did not resolve.

“It is now up to the government to decide whether Saraki and Ekweremadu should be re-arraigned or only Maikasuwa and Efeturi would carry the can.”

One of our correspondents gathered that the SIP had to bypass the Clerk, National Assembly, Mohammed Sani-Omolori, to get the necessary evidence and documents relating to the case.

When contacted on Saturday, the spokesperson for the AGF and the NPCC, Mr. Salisu Isah, said he was not aware of any fresh development in the case.

“Just give me some time to find out and revert to you,” he said.

Besides the AGF, who is the Chairman of the NPCC, the committee consists of 19 members, including the Solicitor-General/Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Mr. Taiwo Abidogun and Mr. Dipo Opeseyi.

When contacted on Saturday, Saraki decline to comment on the matter, while Ekweremadu said he was not aware of the new development in the forgery case.

The Special Adviser to the Senate President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Yusuph Olaniyonu, said, “I have no comment on the matter,” when he was called on the telephone by one of our correspondents.

Ekweremadu, who spoke through the Special Adviser to the Deputy President of the Senate on Media, Mr. Uche Anichukwu, said, “We are not aware of that” when he was told that the police had submitted a fresh report to the AGF-led committee.

Another aide to Ekweremadu, who spoke on condition of anonymity, wondered why the police would file another report from a fresh investigation when the security agency had sworn to an affidavit that it had concluded its investigations into the case and presented it before a court.

Senate Rule Forgery: FG Drops Criminal Charges Against Saraki, Ekweremadu

The Federal Government of Nigeria has filed a motion to withdraw the charge of criminal conspiracy against Senate President Bukola Saraki and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu.

Four months ago, government, through the Ministry of Justice, arraigned Saraki, Ekweremadu, alongside former Clerk to the National Assembly, Salisu Maikasu, and his deputy, Benedict Efeturi.

The four were accused of conspiracy and forgery of Senate Standing Rules which brought Saraki and Ekweremadu to office in 2015.

The suit was filed in June, almost a year after Secretary of Senate Unity Forum, Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi petitioned the Inspector General of Police where he demanded criminal investigation into allegation of forgery of Senate Rules used for the elections of presiding officers on June 9, 2015.

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They were brought before Justice Yusuf Halilu.

In a new twist, an affidavit in support of the motion was filed before the High Court of Federal Capital Territory, yesterday, by a litigation officer from the Federal Ministry of Justice, Odubu Loveme.

Saraki and Ekweremadu, as well as Maikasuwa, and  Efeturi, were first arraigned before Justice Yusuf Halilu on June 10, 2016 via charge No. CR/219/16.

They all pleaded not guilty on July 27, 2016.

In the motion, Loveme said counsel to the federal government on the matter, Aliyu Umar, a senior advocate of Nigeria, on September 30, in the office of the Director of Public Prosecution told him that he had studied the case diary and “ had decided to amend the charge in the manner stated on the face of the motion paper.” Loveme added that he has, consequently, filed an amended charge.

“That I depose to this affidavit in good faith believing same to be correct to the best of my knowledge and information and in accordance with the Oaths Act Cap 01 laws of the Federation of Nigeria,” he said.

Based on the amended charge, only Messrs. Maikasuwa and Efeturi would face prosecution.

The two officials are accused of fraudulently amending the 2015 Senate Standing Orders without the authority of the 7th Senate “ with intention that the Senators elect of the 8th Senate would believe that the said Senate Standing Orders 2015 ( as amended) was made by the authority of the 7th Senate of the Federal republic of Nigeria.”

They are also accused of forging a document punishable under section 366 of the Penal Code Act ( Northern States) Federal Provisions Act, 1960, Cap 345, Laws of the Federation 1990 ( as amended). The Nigerian Government also accused them of giving false information with the intention to mislead the public. The court had, on September 28 adjourned the matter to Friday, October 7 for commencement of hearing.

Umar, in his written address in support of the motion to amend the charge on Thursday, stated that the sole issue for determination is “ whether the Court can permit the amendment of the charge in terms of the amended charge”.

He said the Court has the powers to permit the amendment based on the provisions of Section 216 (1) of the Administration o Criminal Justice Act.

The Section stated that “ A Court may permit an alteration or an amendment to a charge or framing of a new charge at any time before judgment is pronounced.”

He also quoted Section 216 (3) which states that “ Where a Defendant is arraigned for trial on an imperfect or erroneous charge ,the Court may permit or direct the framing of a new charge, or any amendment to, or the alteration of the original charge.”

Daily Sun

AGF vs Senate Today: Detail Accounts of All That Transpired As Minister of Justice Refused To Apologise

The Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, on Wednesday, appeared before the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, to defend the government’s forgery charges against the senate president, Bukola Saraki, and deputy, Ike Ekweremadu.

Mr. Malami was summoned by the Senate on June 21, to “explain and justify with evidence” the basis for the charges against Messrs. Saraki and Ekweremadu. The two lawmakers are accused of conspiring with two National Assembly to forge the Senate’s rules.

Mr. Malami appeared after repeatedly failing to honour the senate’s summons.

At the hearing, the chairman of the Senate committee, David Umaru, and other members, asked Mr. Malami if he acted in the public interest and without abuse of his office.

A member of the committee, Joshua Lidani, said there was an issue of conflict of interest as Mr. Malami was the lawyer representing senators who were aggrieved with Mr. Saraki’s election. Those senators filed the complaint accusing Mr. Saraki and his deputy of falsifying the senate rule.

Mr. Malami denied bias, and said the case predated his appointment as minister on November 12, 2015.

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The minister said the investigation was concluded four months before his appointment, and that he was duty bound to continue with the matter.

“I only inherited a concluded investigative report,” said Mr. Malami.

Quoting the Senate Order, Mr. Malami reminded the Senators that a matter in court should not be entertained by the legislative body.

Asked why Messrs. Saraki and Ekweremadu were not questioned during investigations before the matter went to court, and why the two senators were charged when their names were not mentioned in the proof of evidence, the attorney general said he could not comment as he was a party in a case.

The Senators said the Constitution empowers the Senate to regulate its internal affairs, including the matters arising from the controversial Senate Rules.

Defending the “amendment” of the 2015 Rules, a committee member, Chukwuma Utazi, said “I wish to refer the AGF to Section 64 (1)”which dissolves the Parliament after 4 years”.

He said Rules stood invalid at the end of the session and the Senate could amend the document handed to them by the bureaucracy.

But Mr. Malami said the alteration of Senate Rules, 2015 did not conform to valid procedures, insisting and that an offence was committed in the process.

In the police report exclusively published by PREMIUM TIMES, the Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department, found that the Senate Rules used to inaugurate the Senate did follow the procedures stipulated in the Section 110 of the 2011 Rules, “the extant Standing Rules”.

Without direct reference to the CIID report, Mr. Malami told the Senators the “amendment” of the 2015 Senate Order did not follow the legally valid procedure.

The minister of Justice said that “a Standing Rule that has not been deliberated and voted on by the Senate, cannot be the Standing Rule”.

He said the criminal case was filed to curb “abuse institutional governing documents”.

Drawing from antecedents, he noted that when there was a need to amend the Senate Rules in May 2011, there was a process of deliberation that followed the stipulated procedure.

Babajide Omoworare (APC-Osun) made comment that caused division at the hearing.

“This session is an entire waste of our time,” Mr. Omoworare said, opposing his colleagues’ emphasis on the forgery suit against Messrs Saraki and Ekweremadu. “I am not bothered about the matter in court.”

He said the law should take its course.

However, like Ovie Omo-Agege (LP-Delta), Mr. Omoworare said the Senate expected apology from Mr. Malami for shunning the Senate’s summon earlier.

The minister refused to apologize.

He however said he had regard for the senate and he was known for honouring institutional invitations.

Earlier in his remark, Mr. Umaru said the hearing was convened not because of the matter in court but to ensure there was no abuse of office.

“We are only concerned with how the AGF exercises his powers,” he said. “Did he take into account public interest?”

Premium Times

FG Refuses To Doze On Saraki, Unleashes 80 Specially Trained Lawyers On Him, Ekweremadu Over Forgery Suit

The federal Government through the Ministry of Justice has resolved to mobilise 80 specially trained lawyers to handle the forgery case filed against the embattled President of the Nigerian Senate, Dr. Bukola Saraki, his Deputy, Ike Ekweremadu and two others who have been sued over alleged forgery of the Senate Standing Rule, Punch Newspaper reports

The identities of the lawyers, who were said to have been specially trained for the tasks ahead, have not been made known.

It was learnt that the Prof. Itse Sagay-led Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption was involved in the training of the special prosecutors.

Our correspondent gathered that the training, which ended in June, lasted for over one month.

Sources in the Federal Ministry of Justice in Abuja confirmed on Thursday, according to Punch Newspaper that one of the teams of prosecutors had been assigned the forgery case recently instituted against Senate President Bukola Saraki; his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, and two others.

According to Punch Newspaper, the Federal Government has set up 20 teams of prosecutors, comprising 80 lawyers, who will handle a number of high profile criminal cases investigated by law enforcement agencies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Each of the teams, according o Punch Newspaper had four lawyers with a Senior Advocate of Nigeria as the leader.

The new prosecuting team will fully take over the forgery case from the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation, Mr. Mohammed Diri, when the trial resumes on Monday, our source says

The Federal Government, through the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minster of Justice, had, on June 10, preferred against Saraki, Ekweremadu and others, two counts of criminal conspiracy and forgery of Senate Standing Rules used for the leadership election of the presiding officers of the 8th Senate on June 4, 2015.

The two other co-accused persons are a former Clerk to the National Assembly, Salisu Maikasuwa, and his then deputy, Benedict Efeturi.

The Federal Government stated that the offence of conspiracy is punishable under Section 97 (1) of the Penal Code Act and offence of forgery with “fraudulent intent” punishable under Section 364 of the same law.

On June 27, the four accused persons were arraigned and they pleaded not guilty to the charges before Justice Yusuf Halilu of a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Jabi, Abuja.

Shortly after their arraignment on June 27, they were granted bail on the conditions that each of them should produce two sureties, who must have property either in Asokoro, Maitama, Wuse 2 or Garki (all in Abuja).

Sources confirmed to our correspondent on Thursday that the AGF and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, deliberately assigned the case to the special prosecution team for “efficient prosecution and management of the case”.

It was learnt that the team was given the liberty by the AGF to review the case file “and make necessary adjustments or amendments” where necessary to enhance the prospect of a successful prosecution of the case.

When contacted, the AGF’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Salihu Isah, confirmed to our correspondent that the forgery case was one of the high-profile criminal cases that had been assigned to one of the special teams of prosecutors.

“The prosecutors, 80 in all, are constituted into 20 teams. After they were trained, cases have been assigned to the first six and one of the cases is the Saraki’s case that you mentioned,” Isah said.

Though he declined to mention the names of the lawyers in the team, Isah said the matters assigned to the various teams varied from terrorism to corruption cases, among others.

According to him, the National Prosecution Coordination Committee, inaugurated by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, would review some of the cases either being prosecuted or still being investigated by the EFCC, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission and others agencies.

The committee, he added, would also recommend the re-assignment of suitable cases among them to the teams of prosecutors.

“The teams will take up cases investigated by the various law enforcement agencies – ICPC, EFCC, DSS – and even some being handled by the ministry,” he said.

A source explained that some of the cases that would be assigned to the teams of prosecutors were the over 1,500 terrorism cases said to have been filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja since last year while the accused persons had yet to be arraigned.

Fresh Plot Nail Saraki, Ekweremadu Hatched

The Chair­man, Senator Commit­tee on Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Sena­tor Dino Melaye (Kogi West) has raised alarm on attempt by certain individuals to doctor the police report on the alleged forgery by the leadership of the Senate ahead of the July 11, 2016 contin­ued hearing of the forgery case against the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, his Depu­ty, Ike Ekweremadu and two others, at the FCT High Court.

Melaye, in a state­ment in Abuja on Mon­day, stated that those behind the sinister plot are scheming to forge a police report different from the one signed by AIG James Caulcrick in order to justify and prove a case of forgery against the Senate Presi­dent and his Deputy.

He said it was neces­sary for members of the public to be aware of the ‘unlawful plan’.

The statement reads: “We have our own sources and we have been reliably informed that the prosecution having realised that there is a big hole in their case against Saraki and Ekweremadu who were not mentioned in the police report, are now trying to doctor the report and include the names of both presiding officers of the Senate.

“We are aware of that development and we want members of the public to know the level of desperation that these people are ready to go to nail the Senate President and his Deputy.

How We Used 'Doctored' Standing Orders For Saraki, Ekweremadu; David Mark Ordered - Deputy Clerk Reveals

In an exclusive report, the deputy clerk of the National Assembly has confirmed to police investigators that the senate's standing orders used for the 2015 elections of Saraki and Ekweremadu as president and deputy, were indeed different.

Speaking with the Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department of the Nigerian Police Force, the deputy clerk of the National Assembly, Benedict Efeturi, has disclosed to the investigators that the senate’s standing orders used for the 2015 elections of Bukola Saraki and Ike Ekweremadu as senate president and deputy respectively, was different from the 2011 version.

Efeturi who made the disclosure in the heat of the allegations that the rules were forged to help the lawmakers, said the alteration, which some senators denounced as illegal as lawmakers were not informed about, was based on the directive of the former senate leadership, led by its president, David Mark.

He said the amendment was done “by convention and practice” and not be “procedure”, as previous versions of the rules were amended by the same method.

In his statement to the police, Efeturi, who is also the Clerk of the Senate, said the leadership of the 7th Senate under David Mark ordered the 2015 Standing Rules be amended “not necessarily by procedure” but “by convention and practice”.

According to the report, he “stated that the leadership of the National Assembly of the 7th Senate ordered the 2015 Standing Rules as amended by their convention and practice. (He stated) that the Senate Standing Orders 2003, 2007 and 2011 followed the same procedure as that of 2015. He emphasized that in the Parliament, amendment of the Standing Orders is by practice not necessarily by procedure.

“He further stated that during the ruling of the Senate President on the 24th of June 2015, that the Senate Standing Orders of the Senate 2015 is authentic, final, relevant and cannot be challenged. He attached a copy of the debates of the Senate on Wednesday, the 24th of June where the Senate President ruled (that) the Senate Standing Order 2015 as authentic Standing Orders of the 8th Senate.”

Meanwhile, Alhaji Salisu Maikasuwa, the Clerk to the National Assembly, who conducted the elections of Saraki and Ekweremadu, said he did not refer to any Senate Standing Rules, rather, he said he only performed his duty using “normal procedures for the opening of a new parliament”.

He said, according to the police report, “that before the election, he called on the Deputy Clerk to the National Assembly who is also the Clerk to the Senate to read out the guidelines for the election”.

He denied knowledge of the existence or production of an amended Senate Standing Rules 2015, saying he had no business in the daily activities in the Senate, and told the police Efeturi was “in better position to know of the 2015 Standing Orders as amended”.

The report says a number of Senators, including Suleiman Hukunyi, Kabiru Marafa, Ahmed Lawan, Abdullahi Gumel, Gbenga Ashafa, Robert Boroffice and Abu Ibrahim, were invited during the investigation.

In their separate statements, they said the 7th Senate did not amend the 2011 Standing Rules and thus, the amendment rules used for inauguration of the eighth assembly was fraudulent since there was no compliance with the requirements for amendment of Senate Rules.

Senator Faruk Lawan who contested and lost the senate presidency to Saraki, said, “The procedures for election into the two presiding offices are clearly stipulated in Order 2 (2(i) of the Senate Standing Rules 2011. That contrary to the provision of the above order, the Clerk to the National Assembly introduced and used order 3(3) e (ii) of the purported 2015 Standing Order”.

The report also noted the submissions of some former lawmakers like Ita Enang, who was chairman, Rules and Business in the seventh senate, told the police that the previous Senate did not amend the rules.

Meanwhile Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu's spokesperson, Uche Anichukwu, told Premium Times that only All Progressives Congress Senators in the Unity Forum - a group opposed to the election of Saraki - were invited for questioning. He queried the basis for his arraignment as he was neither questioned nor indicted by the police.

In the summary, the police’s CIID said the contents of the 2015 Rules “are substantially different from the Senate Standing Order 2011 as amended” and that “Sections 2(iv), 3(3)EI,ii,iii,G and H, 5 and 7 of the Rules are different in the two Orders”.

“The allusion of the Clerk of the Senate to procedure of amending the Standing Orders of the Parliament through ‘practice and not necessarily procedure’ is a misplaced analogy and undemocratic because the Nigerian Senate has clearly laid down without a proviso, the procedure to be adopted in amending its standing orders as contained in the section 110 of 2011 Senate Standing Orders.

“This practice where some group of senators amend the Rules of the Senate without following legal procedures is not only criminal but portends danger for growing democracy,” the Police said.

The report, dated July 14, 2015, was forwarded to the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, to determine “if this conduct constitutes crime or should be treated as an internal affairs of the Senate”.

Premium Times

Oyegun: The WORST Mistake I've Ever Made As APC Chairman

The national Chairman of the ruling All progressives Congress, APC has recounted among others the worst mistake he had ever made as the party's chairman.

Oyegun in an interview with the Daily Trust shared that his decision to call the meeting that took place on the the National Assembly was inaugurated.

"There are lots of decisions, not just one, some of which are private. If you want to limit it to the recent past, I would say the decision to call the meeting that took place on the day the National Assembly was inaugurated."
"That was a bad mistake. I was persuaded and I agreed to call that meeting. Had it been it did not take place, we probably won’t have a PDP person there today as the deputy Senate president."
"The anger within the leadership of the party may not have turned out as strong as it became," Oyegun said

It would be recalled the that APC summoned all it National Assembly members on June 8th 2015 in a bid to pass in a bid to pass instruction on who emerges what at the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Meeting which was boycotted by Senate President Bukola Saraki and few of his APC loyalist.

Saraki's group, while other APC lawmakers were holding meeting with the party leaders, conspired with the PDP Senators, conducted election with the forged Senate Standing rule that ushered him and Ike Ekweremadu as the Senate President and the deputy respectively.

Forgery Suit: Jittery Saraki's Secret Plea With Arch-Enemy, Ahmed Lawan Group To Withdraw Suit FAILS

The embattled President of the Nigerian Senate, Bukola Saraki in an 11th minutes efforts to get a hook off his forgery suit has reportedly begged his arch-enemy, Senator Ahmed's Lawan group who had earlier filed the Senate Standing Rules FORGERY SUIT against him  and his Deputy, Ike Ekweremadu. in the court

Punch Newspaper says, the Senate leadership in an effort to frustrate the scheduled arraignment of its presiding officers, Senate President Bukola Saraki and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, at a Federal Capital Territory High Court, failed on Wednesday during a closed session that lasted for about two hours.

 It was learnt that the leadership had suggested the withdrawal of the case by the litigants, who are members of the Senate Unity Forum, a suggestion that the affected persons turned down on the grounds that the case was now being handled by the Federal Government.

Saraki, according to a Senator, who spoke to Punch Newspaper correspondents on condition of anonymity because it was against the Senate convention to disclose issues discussed in the execute session, appealed to the litigants to withdraw the case in line with the recommendations of the peace committee.

The Senate Peace and Reconciliation Committee, led by Senator James Manager, had, in its report, recommended among others, the withdrawal of the suit, the recomposition of the committees and the disbandment of groups within the Senate.

One of our correspondents learnt that members of the SUF, who took the case to court, said the matter was now beyond them as the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, had taken over the case.

The source added, “The senators, who went to court, were of the opinion that the case had attained another dimension because it was the Federal Government that is now prosecuting those who allegedly produced the fake document.”

A copy of the document obtained on Wednesday showed that the panel accused Saraki of unduly favouring some members in appointments to juicy committees.

The panel recommended the restructuring of the committees so that the aggrieved senators would be pacified.

Saraki currently facing double criminal charges bothering on corruption at the Code of Conduct Tribunal over dishonest assets declaration  and  the forgery of Senate Standing rule that cornered him and Ekweremadu to lead the 8th senate.

More Trouble For Saraki, Ekweremadu As FG Files Criminal Charge Over Senate Standing Order Forgery

The President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki and his deputy, Ike Elweremadu may have landed in another corruption case as the Federal Government has directed the prosecution of the Senate forgery scandal, which the Senate President and the deputy were the huge beneficiaries, report according to Punch Newspaper suggests

According to our source, Mr. Abubakar Malami, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, has directed the Director of Public Prosecutions of the Federation and the police  to prefer charges against suspects, who allegedly forged the Senate Standing Orders used for the proclamation of the current 8th Senate, within two weeks

The 2015 Senate Standing Orders, which Saraki and Ekweremadu benefited from, was allegedly the forged version of the 2011 order.

Top sources in the Federal Ministry of Justice and the police headquarters confirmed that Malami had given the police and the DPP of the Federation, Mr. Mohammed Diri, two weeks to file charges against the suspected forgers.

It was learnt that Malami called for the file on the case last week and found out that the ministry had since July 29, 2015, some months before his appointment, recommended the prosecution of the yet-to-be-identified suspects.

The minister was also said to have discovered in the file that the ministry had requested the police to further investigate the case in order to unravel the suspects and the roles played by them in the case.

The sources confirmed that the suspects would be charged with criminal conspiracy, forgery, breach of official trust and unlawful assembly said to have contravened various provisions of Penal Code in about one or two weeks.