A federal high court in Abuja on Monday gave former governor of Adamawa State, Muritala Nyako, and his son, Senator Abdulaziz, a 24-hour ultimatum to enter their defense in the N29billion fraud charges levelled against them by the Nigerian Government.
The court threatened to invoke provisions of the law to close their case and enter judgment against them.
The ultimatum came following persistent claims of the former governor and his son that they were not yet ready to open defence in the criminal charges against them.
Meanwhile, at the resumption of the trial where the ex-governor and his son were billed to start the process of establishing their innocence, the former governor informed Justice Abang that he was not yet ready to do that.
His son also adopted his position and asked the court to give them time to go and prepare for the defence.
Justice Abang, however, rejected the plea but stood down trial to enable the defendants put their house in order.
Abang recalled the judgment of the Court of Appeal delivered on January 18, which dismissed the no-case submission of the two defendants and ordered them to return to the high court to open their defence.
He held that granting their request by him would amount to reviewing the decision of the appellate court, which will amount to a nullity.
It was gathered that after hours, the court invited the former governor and his son but they maintained the same position of not being ready for defence.
The judge then issued an order on them to either open their defence on January 25 or have themselves to blame, adding that the court will close the case against them and enter judgment in favour of government.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had on January 18 secured nine judgments against the former governor, his son, and seven of his business partners.
The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, delivered all the nine judgments in separate nine appeals filed by the nine defendants to seek nullifications of the N29billion money laundering charges against them.
A three-member panel of the court, led by Justice Peter Olabisi Ige, dismissed the appeals by Nyako and eight others.
Nyako and the others had appealed against the July 19, 2021 ruling by Justice Abang, which rejected their no-case submissions.
