The last batch of six Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) staff and 16 other bankers were yesterday arraigned before Justice Adeyinka Faaj of a Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. The stage is now set for the trial of the accused persons in the alleged N8billion currency fraud.
Docked yesterday at the resumed arraignment of the bankers were three CBN officials – Kolawole Babalola, Olaniran Muniru Adeola and Toogun Kayode Phillip.
The others are Ajuwon Bolade and Samuel Ogbeide.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday concluded the arraignment of the 22 bank officials at the Federal High Court, sitting in Ibadan.
They were said to have conspired with other two suspects, Onabanjo Olumayowa and Tijani Olusoga, who are at large, between 2011 and 2012 in Ibadan, and delivered on false pretence N1,060,000,000 to the CBN, with an intent to defraud, conspired, and commit an offence contrary to Section 8(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act,2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.
A 14-count charge was preferred against the accused, who pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Responding to the charge read out to him by the court Registrar, one of the accused persons, Ajuwon Bolade, said: “I am not guilty my lord because I am still living in a rented apartment.”
Justice Faaj, who was amused by Bolade’s response, quickly corrected his impression that what the charge meant was that “he was in possession of the currency in question”.
After taking the plea from the accused, Justice Faaj fixed June 12: for the hearing of the motion on bail applications. He ordered that the five accused be remanded in Agodi Prisons.
The first two batches of the accused had been arraigned before the court on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Hearing of motions on their bail applications will be heard by Justice Ayo Emmanuel and Justice Faaj next week.
Justice Emmanuel will on June 9 hear the bail applications of the first batch of the accused arraigned on Monday. Justice Faaj will on June 8 and 12 hear the motion for bail application of the second and third batches of the accused arraigned on Wednesday and Thursday.
The court remanded in prison 21 of the 22 accused who have been arraigned. It directed that the nursing mother among the accused be kept in the custody of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Ibadan, where she would have access to her baby.
Speaking with reporters after the court session, the lead counsel to EFCC, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), said the proceedings have been going on well and the judges giving the cases priority attention, which the law enjoined them to do.
He, however, cautioned the defence counsel for the accused against delaying antics after the court’s ruling on the bail applications next week.
On some suspects that are presently at large, Jacobs said: “The EFCC is making great efforts to get the accused that are on the run.
Before the next adjourned date, something would be done about them.”
One of the defence counsel, Mr. Olalekan Ojo, said he supported the court’s decision not to accept oral bail application, saying it was desirable “where the documents like in the present case are voluminous”.
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