Pension scam accused remanded in prison

Justice Bolaji Yusuf of the Nigerian High Court, in Ibadan, Oyo state today ordered that the former Head of Service, Mrs. Adeleke Kudirat Iyabo and eleven civil servants standing trial for allegedly stealing N2.7b pension funds of primary school retirees be remanded in Agodi Prison, till November 26 when she will rule on their bail applications.

The other accused persons are: former Executive Secretary of the pension board, Muili Hakeem Aderemi, former treasurer, Iyabo Giwa, former cashier, Adesina Jimoh Ayoade, former auditor, Oguntayo Banji N, and former admin officer, Adebiyi Musendiq Olasumbo. Others were: Muili Adedamola, Adeduntan Johnson, Johnson Bosede, Kareem Rasheed, Olujimi Adebayo and Adewale Kehinde.

The twelve accused persons are standing trial on 213 counts slammed by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission.

Justice Yusuf gave this ruling after about six hours of taking the arguments and counter arguments between the lawyers of the accused persons and the lawyer of Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) as regards the bail applications.

The judge thereafter adjourned the case till 26 November for ruling.

The lawyers to the accused persons are: A. A. Okunade, Olumuyiwa Makinde, A. M. Asiru, Akin ladipo, Yakub Fadare, Abiodun Dabiri, Abiodun Adebayo, J.J Olaniyan, Abiodun Azeez, Richard Ogunwole (SAN), Olutayo Oyewole, Bolaji Agoro and Akin Ayedun while Gbolahan Latona is the counsel for the applicant (EFCC).

Ogunwole condemned EFCC for various incarcerations of the former head of service prior to her arraignment saying that it was unfair.

He said that when the head of service aborted the medical operation she went for in London and willingly came to Nigeria to submit herself to the EFCC upon invitation, she was arrested and detained. “Nigeria should do better. EFCC has not discharged the onus to detain the accused persons”, he added.

However, Mr. Asiru, counsel to the 3rd accused persons described newspapers reports as mere worthless papers that cannot be taken as evidence in the court stressing, “EFCC exhibit 3-9 which are newspapers cuttings are of no evidential value. A newspaper report has no evidential value. They are worthless papers”, he reiterated several times.

Arguing against the respondents’ counsels, Mr. Latona, opposed the bail applications by the accused persons saying that the arguments of the accused persons were unfounded and some of the facts presented to court to support their grounds are contradicting and misleading.
He noted that the bail applications should be refused considering the nature of the offence and the severity of the offence adding, “It involves 213 counts torching on the revenue of Oyo State. It is about economic sabotage. It involves forgery which carries life imprisonment. OBT alone carries a maximum term of seven to twenty years without option of fine”.

Replying Ogunwole (SAN), Latona said that the head of service was in the United Kingdom for a cosmetic operation when operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) came to her Ibadan residence to effect her arrest in June 2010.

Mr. Latona, said the woman was there to carry out operation to trim her belly stressing, “the woman was in London to do what rich people do, that is trim their tummy…tummy tuck “