Nigerian Supreme Court has set aside the conviction of a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Joseph Nwobike.
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had arraigned him before a Lagos State High Court on counts bothering on perversion of justice.
The 18 counts bordered on attempting to pervert the course of justice, offering gratification to a public officer and giving false information to an EFCC official. He was convicted in 2018 on 12 of the counts by Justice Raliatu Adebiyi.
As a result of the judgment, Nwobike was stripped of his SAN title.
Dissatisfied with his conviction, he appealed the matter but the Court of Appeal upheld the conviction.
However, a five-member panel of the Supreme Court led by Justice Olukayode Ariwoola on Monday quashed the conviction, ruling that the EFCC lacked the power to prosecute anyone for the offence of perversion of justice.