The trial of Nigerian musician Azeez Fashola, also known as Naira Marley, was unable to proceed before a Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday due to a pending application for fiat before the Chief Judge of the court. The prosecutor, Mrs Bilikisu Buhari, informed Justice Isaac Dipeolu, the trial judge, that the application for fiat to enable the former judge to continue with the trial of the defendant is awaiting approval by the CJ of the court. The application is dated Dec. 8, 2023. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is prosecuting Naira Marley on charges relating to cybercrime. The charges were brought against him on May 14, 2019. Fashola had pleaded not guilty when he was arraigned before Justice Nicholas Oweiboo on May 20, 2019. Justice Oweibo had granted him bail in the sum of two million naira with two sureties in like sum. Witnesses were still being led in evidence when Justice Oweibo was transferred out of the Lagos division of the court, and the case was transferred to a new judge, Justice Dipeolu. Following information of the pending application for fiat brought to the attention of the new judge by counsel, the court adjourned the case until May 30 for report. The EFCC alleged that the defendant committed the offences on different dates between Nov. 26, 2018, and Dec. 11, 2018, as well as May 10, 2019. Fashola and his accomplices allegedly conspired to use different Access Bank ATM cards to defraud their victims. The defendant was also alleged to have used a bank credit card issued to another person in an attempt to obtain fraudulent financial gains. The EFCC further alleged that the defendant possessed counterfeit credit cards belonging to different people with the intent to defraud, which amounted to theft. These alleged offences contravene the provisions of Sections 1, 23 (1) (b), 27 (1), and 33(9) of the Cyber Crime (Prohibition) Prevention Act, 2015.
The progress of the EFCC’s legal action against Naira Marley for alleged cybercrime has been delayed.
