The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is making moves to secure a bench warrant against the sacked Director General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ambassador Ayodele Oke, and his wife, Folashade.
This is because counsel to the EFCC, Rotimi Oyedepo informed Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of a Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos on Wednesday that he had the intention of making an oral application seeking the issuance of bench warrant against the sacked NIA DG and his wife.
During the day’s proceedings, Justice Aneke had stated that he had not yet seen the case file.
But the registrar of the court was quick to inform the judge that the case file was already before the court.
This prompted Justice Aneke to declare that he needed to go through the case file before entertaining any application.
The judge then adjourned the case to Thursday, February 7, 2019 for EFCC to move its oral application seeking bench warrant against Oke and his wife.
It would be recalled that at the last sitting on the matter, Oyedepo had urged Justice Aneke to reschedule the planned arraignment of the sacked DG of NIA and his wife. This was because of the failure of the anti-graft agency to produce the duo before the court.
The EFCC had instituted a four-count charge against Oke and Folashade.
EFCC had intended to arraign the defendants before the judge in connection with the sums of $43,449,947, £27,800 and N23,218,000 (totalling N13bn) removed by the EFCC from Flat 7B Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos linked to them.
The charge against Oke and Folashade, reads:
“That you, Amb. Ayodele Oke, Mrs. Folasade Ayodele Oke on or about the 12th day of April 2017 in Lagos concealed the sum of $43, 449, 947, 000 property of the Federal Government of Nigeria in Flat 7B, No. 16 Osborne Road, Osborne Towers, Ikoyi Lagos which sum you reasonably ought to have known formed part of proceeds of an unlawful act to wit: criminal breach of trust and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15 (2) (a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.
“That you Amb. Ayodele Oke and Mrs. Folasade Ayodele Oke between 25th day of August 2015 and 2nd day of September 2015 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this court indirectly used the sum of $1, 658, 000 property of the Federal Government of Nigeria to acquire Flat 7B, No. 16 Osborne Road, Osborne Towers, Ikoyi Lagos which sum you reasonably ought to have known formed part of proceeds of an unlawful act to wit: criminal breach of trust and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.
“That you Amb. Ayodele Oke and Mrs. Folasade Ayodele Oke between 25th day of August 2015 and 2nd day of September 2015 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this court directly retained $160, 777, 136. 85 property of the Federal Government of Nigeria which sum you reasonably ought to have known formed part of proceeds of an unlawful act to wit: criminal breach of trust and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.
“That you Amb. Ayodele Oke and Mrs. Folasade Ayodele Oke between 25th day of August 2015 and 2nd day of September 2015 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this court directly converted $160, 777, 136. 85 property of the Federal Government of Nigeria to your own use which sum you reasonably ought to have known formed part of proceeds of an unlawful act to wit: criminal breach of trust and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.” (SaharaReporters)
