He is contending that the court lacked the jurisdiction to try him.

Wike’s trial was expected to commence yesterday but for the objection he brought to challenge his trial.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission trying him yesterday asked for adjournment to respond to the objection.

According to the commission, the objection was just served on it and would need time to study it.
The trial high court had no option than to adjourn hearing in the case till a later date in December.

It would be recalled that the EFCCC had about two weeks ago arraigned Wike before the Abuja high court for allegedly stealing, in less than one year, a whopping sum of N3.7billion belonging to the state government.

He was docked at exactly 1:46 pm on the day.

His arraignment came 24- hours after a Rivers State high court sitting in Port-Harcourt issued an interim order directing EFCC to release him from detention forthwith and put on hold his proposed prosecution pending determination of a motion on notice.

But respite came his way, same day, as the presiding high court judge, Justice Abimbola Banjoko granted him bail in the sum of N50million with two sureties in like sum resident in Abuja and who must swear to affidavit of means.

Wike had gone before the Rivers State high court to enforce his fundamental human rights against the anti-graft agency.

He had succeeded to procure an interim order through the judicial process directing EFCC to release him from its detention.

The agents of the state government had also served the court order on EFCC.
Notwithstanding the Rivers State high court order, he was docked over the 7-count charge of illegal diversion of public fund and criminal breach of trust.



He though complained that ordinarily he was not supposed to be arraigned in view of a subsisting court order he earlier procured, he said he would still submit to the jurisdiction of the Abuja court.

He listened to each of the allegations and entered a plea of not guilty to them.

Wike told the court through his team of lawyers led by Chief Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) that the allegations against him were nothing but mere fabrications.

He said it was so because each of the allegations lacked legal substratum to stand on and must, of necessity, collapse.

He challenged the EFCC to prove the allegation against him if it had any.

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