The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC , Lagos Zonal office, on Wednesday, August 1, 2018, Arraigned the Trio of Gbadegun Isaiah Abiodun, Oladipo Oladapo and Afolabi Peter Albert, before Justice Chuka Obiozor of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos on a five-count batch bordering on conspiracy and money laundering to the tune of N177, 300,000 (One Hundred and Seventy-seven Million, Three Hundred Thousand Naira).
The defendants, who are staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Osun State, were all willing to have to pay a fee of a N177, 300,000 from a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison-Madueke, on the eve of the 2015 general election, without going through a financial institution.
One of the counts reads: “That you, Gbadegun Isaiah Abiodun, Oladipo Oladapo and Afolabi Peter Albert and others at large, on or about the 30th day of March 2015 in Nigeria, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, conspired among yourselves to accept One Hundred and Seventy-Seven Million, Three Hundred Thousand Naira Only, which exceeded the N5,000,000.00 (Five Million Naira) limit, without going through a financial institution, contrary to Section 18 and punishable under Section 16 (2) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act of 2011 (as amended by the Act NO.1 2012). “
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against them.
In the case of their appeal, the prosecution counsel, Iheanacho Ekele, asked the court for a trial and asked that the defendants be remanded in prison custody.
Counsel to the defendants, Dapo Esan, informed the court of application for bail, which was filed today, and prayed the court for a short adjournment to argue the application.
He urged the court to remand the defendants in EFCC custody on the grounds of ill health.
Consequently, Justice Obiozor adjourned the case to August 7, 2018 for hearing the bail application and ordered the defendants to be remanded in Ikoyi prison.
