Court Remands Ex-Minister, Jumoke Akinjide In EFCC Custody

A Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan has remanded a former Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory, Jumoke Akinjide, in the custody of the Economics and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The EFCC arraigned her and two others for allegedly collecting a sum of N650million from the $2.1bn meant for the procurement of arms which was allegedly diverted by Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd) to fund the 2015 campaign of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Akinjide, a Senator of the 7th Assembly, Ayoade Adeseun, and the erstwhile Chairman of the party in Oyo State, Yinka Taiwo, were said to have collected the money on behalf of the state to fund President Goodluck Jonathan’s re-election campaign and the campaigns of other PDP flagbearers in the 2015 general elections.

The court presided over by Justice Joyce Abdul Malik also ordered the remand another chieftain of the Party, Olanrewaju Otiti, in the anti-graft agency’s custody till July 6, 2017.

The court also ordered the EFCC to produce unfailingly the second defendant in the case, Senator Adeseun, who has failed to appear in court to face trial over the alleged fraud.

At the hearing, counsel for the first and second defendants, Jumoke Akinjide, and Senator Ayoade Adeseun (at large), Bolaji Ayorinde SAN and Michael Lana announced their withdrawal from the case amid a heated argument over a ruling by the presiding Judge, which they considered ‘unfair’ to the defendants.

In charge no FHC/IB/26c/2017, the defendants were accused to have conspired to take possession of N650millon unlawfully and committed an offence contrary to Section 18 (a) of the Money Laundry Act, 2012 and punishable under Section 15 (3) & 4 of the Act.

Before the court took the plea of the defendants, Justice Abdul-Malik ordered that the12 charges should be read out to the defendants, to which they pleaded not guilty.

Justice Abdul-Malik, thereafer, ordered the defendants to be remanded in EFCC custody and adjourned the case to September 12, while hearing on the bail application for the third defendant was adjourned to July 6, 2016.