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The Federal Ministry of Justice has asked the Code of Conduct Tribunal to issue a bench warrant for the arrest of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki.
The request came as Saraki refused to appear before the tribunal on Friday to face the 13-count corruption charge brought against him by the Code of Conduct Bureau.
A deputy director in the office of the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. M.S. Hassan, applied for the warrant.
Saraki who was billed for arraignment this morning, sent his team of lawyers to serve the tribunal with a copy of the ruling of Justice Ahmed Mohammed of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, yesterday, which summoned the Ministry of Justice to appear on Monday to show cause why the trial should be allowed to proceed.
The Chairman of the tribunal, Justice Danladi Umar and that of the Code of Conduct Bureau, CCB, Mr. Sam Saba, as well as Mr. Hassan who signed the charge against Saraki, were also summoned by the court.
Saraki’s absence at the tribunal for the commencement of his prosecution over alleged false declaration of assets today, angered the Ministry of Justice which prayed the Justice Umar-led panel to order for his arrest, saying “he cannot sit in the comfort of his chamber and object to his trial in absentia”.