Alleged N650 million fraud: Court grants ex-Minister, Akinjide’s bail application

A Federal High Court in Ibadan on Thursday granted bail to Olajumoke Akinjide, a former Minister of State, Federal Capital Territory, on self-recognizance, in a case of N650 million fraud.
The judge, Joyce Abdulmaleek, also granted bail to Ayoade Adeseun, a former senator, and Olanrewaju Otiti in the same case, in the sum of N100 million.
The judge added that the each of the sureties provided by the two accused persons, must deposit their passport photographs and Certificates of Occupancy of landed property belonging to them.
Mr. Abdulmaleek adjourned the case to September 12, for the commencement of trial.
The three accused persons were dragged before the court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), over a N650 million fraud charge.
At the resumed hearing of the matter, Mr. Adeseun, who was conspicuously absent at the previous sitting, was seen in the dock, along with the other two accused persons.
When the charges were read to Mr. Adeseun, he pleaded not guilty to the 24-count charge proffered against him.
O.F.A. Adeosun, the defence counsel, immediately prayed the court to grant his client bail on liberal terms and in self-recognizance.
However, Idriss Mohammed, counsel to the EFCC, objected the application, saying that the accused persons might jump bail.
Mr. Mohammed recalled that Adeseun had previously failed to make himself available in court, when the agency granted him administrative bail.
Meanwhile, Richard Ogunwole, counsel to Mrs. Akinjide, had earlier prayed the court to admit his client to bail, based on self-recognizance.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that with Mrs. Alison-Madueke, still at large, Mrs. Akinjide, Messrs. Adeseun and Otiti have been standing trial over an alleged N650 million fraud in the run-off to the 2015 general elections. (NAN)