Court Adjourns Ex-Oyo Commissioner’s Fraud Case

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, southwest Nigeria, this morning adjourned till Friday to rule on the bail application filed on behalf of former Oyo State Commissioner for Trade, Investment and Cooperative, Kazeem Adedeji charged with N77 million fraud.

When the matter came up this morning, the prosecutor from Special Fraud Unit, SFU, was not around. Consequently, the presiding judge, Justice Chukwuemeka Aneke, ordered the defence counsel, Barrister Bode Iranloye, to produce the prosecutor, who was in another court for another matter.

However, on two occasions, when the judge asked Iranloye to call the prosecutor, he did not show up.

Consequently, the judge ordered Iranloye to move application for bail, consequent upon which the judge adjourned the matter till Friday to rule on the case.

Last Thursday, Adedeji, Yinka Fatoki and Kolawole Adewole were arraigned before the court on six-count charge bordering on conspiracy and fraud.

It was alleged that sometime in 2012 when Adedeji was still a commissioner, the Oyo State Government entered into a partnership agreement with Bank of Industry and a fund known as OYSG/BOI from which indigenous entrepreneurs from the state could access credit facilities.

Both parties made contribution of N500 million each which amounted to a joint contribution of N1bn.

The venture was aimed at promoting micro and medium business in Oyo State.

However, Adedeji was alleged to have lodged the said money into Enterprise Bank, where his wife allegedly worked as an Account Officer without the consent of the Oyo State Government.

Thereafter, the accused was alleged to have obtained over N77 million which they allocated to non-existing companies.

—Akin Kuponiyi