Skip to main content

EFCC arraigns 3 Osun INEC officials for alleged money laundering, bribery

Mr Ibrahim Magu, acting chairman of EFCC
By Akin Kuponiyi
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday arraigned another set of three Osun State Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials before a Federal High Court in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria for allegedly benefiting from Dieziani Alison Madueke’s largesse to manipulate the 2015 general election.
The three Osun state INEC officials, Gbadegun Abiodun, Oladipo Oladapo and Afolabi Albert were arraigned on five count charges of conspiracy and receiving millions of naira in cash without going through a financial institution.
On March 30, 2015, the three accused INEC officials were alleged to have conspired together to accept cash payment of N177.3 million without going through a financial institution.
The offence alleged to have been committed by the accused INEC officials of collecting cash payment exceeding N5 million violates Section 18 and is punishable under Section 16 (2) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 as amended by the Act No 2, 2012.
Abiodun, Oladapo and others at large were said to have used N22million in April 2015 which they allegedly obtained through forgery thereby violating Section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering Act.
In Count Four, EFCC alleged that Oladapo and others at large took possession of N3 million in cash from Abiodun when he “reasonably ought to have known that the said N3 million was proceed of unlawful activity to wit: bribery.”
The EFCC prosecution, Ekene Ihanacho further alleged that Oladapo and the others who are unnamed also took possession of N10 million through the account of Bacole Multi-concerns Universal Limited company operated by him.
The alleged offence violated Section 18 (c) and punishable under Section 15 (3) of the Money Laundering Act.
All the defendants pleaded not guilty to each of the counts.
Defence counsel, Dapo Esan pleaded that they be remanded in EFCC custody pending the hearing and determination of their bail application.
He said they were well treated by EFCC officials while in the commission’s custody.
But Iheanacho said that the EFCC facility was overstretched, adding that only those being investigated were kept in EFCC custody.
Consequently, the Presiding judge, Professor Chuka Obiozor while adjoining till 7th of August, 2018 ordered that the defendants be remanded in prison custody.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

BANDIT GUNRUNNER ARRESTED

  Police in Zaria city arrested Bilyaminu Saidu 33years, a gun runner, bandit & logistics supplier. He was arrested with 4 AK-47 rifles, 344 rounds of live ammunition & one motorcycle. Bilyaminu is an indigene of Shuwaki village in Bakori LGA of Katsina state.
Post a Comment
Read more

COVID-19 cases in Africa over one million

                             The number of COVID-19 cases in Africa has exceeded one million, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said today. The Africa CDC, in its latest situation update said that COVID-19 cases rose to 1,007,366 as of Friday afternoon. Death toll related to COVID-19 rose from 21,617 on Thursday to 22,066 on Friday. Africa CDC also reported 690,436 COVID-19 patients have recovered across the continent so far.   South Africa, the worst-hit country on the continent, has registered 538,184 confirmed COVID-19 cases so far. It is followed by Egypt, Nigeria, Algeria and Morocco, the agency said. Africa CDC also said eight countries have reported higher COVID-19 fatality rates compared to the global average. The countries are Chad, Sudan, Niger, Liberia, Egypt, Mali, Burkina Faso and Angola. South Africa, Djibouti, Sao Tome and Principe, Cape Verde and Gabon are rep...
Post a Comment
Read more

Lagos state government revokes 2018 land use charge

                                             The Lagos State Government has canceled the 2018 land use charge. The state Commissioner for Finance, Rabiu Olowo, announced this at a press briefing which held today, August 5. He said the government is also reverting to pre-2018 land use charges. Olowo added that the state government has decided to waive the land use charges for 2017, 2018, and 2019 which is totaled at N5.6 billion.   Recall that in 2018, the immediate past governor of the state, Akinwumi Ambode, increased the charge on a property solely occupied by the owner for residential purpose to 0.076 percent per annum from 0.0394 percent. The rate for an investment property fully occupied by tenants or third party(ies) was increased from 0.394 percent per annum to 0.76 percent. However, after many residents opposed the increment, the r...
Post a Comment
Read more