A Lagos Federal High Court on Tuesday remanded Mr. Olakunle Oluomo Taiwo, the Speaker, Ogun State House of Assembly, alongside Oladayo Samuel, the Assembly’s Director of Finance and Adeyemo Taiwo, the Assembly’s Clerk, in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The presiding judge, Justice Daniel Osiagor ordered the remand of the three defendants, after they all pleaded not guilty to the 11 count charges of conspiracy, stealing, forgery and fraud of N4.4 billion, made against them by the EFCC.
Following their arraignment, Justice Osiagor ordered that they be remanded at the custody of the EFCC for maximum of one week to perfect their bail, else they should be transferred to the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS) at Abeokuta.
The defendants were docked on 11 counts bordering on conspiracy, forgery, and stealing.
Arraigning the defendants, the EFCC prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo who led Sulaiman I. Sulaiman and Muhammed Abbass, urged the court to allow the charges be read to them to take their plea. Subsequently, the charge was read and all the defendants pleaded not guilty to the 11-count.
Following their plea of not guilty, Mr. Kehinde Ogunwumiju (SAN), counsel to the Speaker, who is the first defendant in the charge, informed the court that his client is already enjoying administrative bail granted by the EFCC.
He told the court that he has filed bail application, but there was delayed due to correction in the title of the application. He also prayed the court to allow the defendants remain in the custody of the EFCC pending the perfection of their bail conditions.
Also counsel to the second and third defendants, Akinyemi Aremu and Oluwole Aladedoyin urged the court to grant the defendants bail in liberal and affordable terms.
In his response, EFCC prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo did not oppose the bail application, but left it at the discretion of the Court.
He however, urged the court to direct that failure to meet up with their respective bail conditions within a week the defendants should be transferred to the Ogun State Correctional Centre, Abeokuta.
Ruling on their bail applications, Justice Osiagor granted the Speaker, Olakunle Oluomo bail in the sum of N300 million with two sureties, while the second and third defendants, Oladayo Samuel, Adeyemo Taiwo were granted bail in the sum of N100 million with two sureties in like sum.
The sureties according to the judge must have landed property within the jurisdiction of the court, and the title documents are to be deposited with the court registrar. Adding that one of the sureties must be a Grade Level 14 officer in either Federal or State Civil service.
The judge also ordered the three defendants to deposit their travel documents to the court registry.
The judge further ordered the defendants to be remanded at the custody of the EFCC for maximum of one week following, which they will be transferred to the Nigerian Correctional Centre at Abeokuta.
Parts of the count reads “That you Oluomo Olakunle Taiwo, Oladayo Samuel, Adeyemo Adedeji Taiwo and Adeyanju Nimota Amoke (now at large) sometimes in 2019 in Abeokuta conspired amongst yourselves to USE the total sum of N2,475,000,000.00 (Two Billion, Four Hundred and Seventy Five Million Naira) which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of your unlawful activity to wit: stealing from the treasury of Ogun State House of Assembly and you thereby committed an offence contrary to sections 18 (a), 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act.
“That you Oluomo Olakunle Taiwo, Oladayo Samuel, Adeyemo Adedeji Taiwo and Adeyanju Nimota Amoke (now at large) between June,2019 and June,2020 in Abeokuta used the total sum of N900,000,000.00 (Nine Hundred Million Naira) which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of your unlawful activities to wit: stealing from the treasury of Ogun State House of Assembly and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act.
“That you Oluomo Olakunle Taiwo, Oladayo Samuel, Adeyemo Adedeji Taiwo and Adeyanju Nimota Amoke (now at large) between July,2020 and July,2021 in Abeokuta used the total sum of N900,000,000.00 (Nine Hundred Million Naira) which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of your unlawful activities to wit: stealing from the treasury of Ogun State House of Assembly and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act.
“That you Oluomo Olakunle Taiwo, Oladayo Samuel, Adeyemo Adedeji Taiwo and Adeyanju Nimota Amoke (now at large) between August,2021 and December,2021 in Abeokuta within the jurisdiction of this honorable Court used the total sum of N375,000,000.00 (Three Hundred and Seventy Five Million Naira) which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of your unlawful activities to wit: stealing from the treasury of Ogun State House of Assembly and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act.
