17 Company Officials Face Criminal Charges

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, southwest Nigeria, has adjourned till 7 May, 2012, criminal charges of stealing and forgery preferred against 17 staff of Bond Chemical Industries Limited.

In a six-count criminal charge filed before the court by the prosecutor, Mrs. C.M. Efobi from the office of the Attorney General of the Federation, it was alleged that Reverend Edward Bayo Adejumo between January 2007 and October 2008 while serving as the General Manager, Finance, of Bond Chemical Industries Limited, Lagos, conspired with Emmanuel O. Akindele, Kenny Akinola, Dipo Oshinloye, Abiodun Oyeniyi, Lamidi Ishola Bello, Willie Ibeneme, Dayo Taiwo, Oladao j Olagbenro, Tunde Olaniyi, Taofik Adewolo, Malik Bola, Vincent Okoye, Olugbenga Fagbolade, Tola Bakare, Ade Adeniji and Adewale Oyefajo all employees of Bond Chemical Industries Limited, Mushin, Lagos State to steal the sum of N44 million, property of Bond Chemical Industries Limited and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 390 (7) of the Criminal Code Act Cap 38, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and punishable under the same section of the act.

All the accused persons at the same time and place were alleged to have forged bank tellers and rubber stamps which they fraudulently presented to the Accounts Department of Bond Chemical Industries Limited with intention that they may be acted upon as genuine, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 2 (a) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M 17, Law of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

Mrs. Efobi alleged further that all the accused persons who are employees of Bond Chemical Industries company, between January, 2007 and October, 2008 in Awe, Oyo State, with intention to defraud, made false entries into three different accounts belonging to Bond Chemical Industries when they falsified deposit slips and rubber stamps of three different banks thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 435 of the Criminal Code Act C 38 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

When the case was mentioned in court, all the accused persons were not in court. Consequently, the presiding judge, Justice Olatoregun Isola, adjourned till 7 May, 2012 when the accused persons will be arraigned.