The trial of Priscilla Ogunsola and Daniel Agbo at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Maitama has suffered a setback.
The trial of the duo could not proceed as scheduled on Thursday following the absence of the trial judge in court, Justice Peter Affen.
The judge’s absence prompted the prosecution and defence counsels to mutually agree on January 30, 2020, as adjournment date.
Ogunsola and Agbo, who were state coordinators of the Joint Admission and Matriculations Board ( Jamb) in Benin and Lokoja zonal offices, are facing trial for criminal breach of trust and misappropriation of fund among other crimes.
The allegations were preferred against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
According to a statement from the anti-graft agency, Ogunsola was arraigned on four counts bordering on diversion of fund to the tune of N26,400,000 to personal use.
One of the counts against Ogunsola read: “That you, Mrs Priscilla Ogunsola and Cyril Izirein Imoukhuede (now deceased) between 2012 and 2016 in Abuja and Edo State within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, while respectively being the state coordinator and revenue officer of the Joint Admission and Matriculations Board (JAMB), Benin office, dishonestly misappropriated the sum of N26,400,000 (twenty six million, four hundred thousand naira) belonging to JAMB, an agency of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 308 of the Penal Code Law and punishable under Section 309 of the same law.”
Agbo, who was JAMB’s Lokoja office coordinator, was also arraigned on four counts bordering on criminal breach of trust and misappropriation of the sum of N6,606,000 belonging to JAMB.
Count two of the charge against him reads “That you, Daniel Agbo, between 2009 and 2016 in Abuja and Kogi State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, while being the state coordinator of the Joint Admission and Matriculations Board (JAMB), Lokoja zonal office, dishonestly misappropriated the sum of N6,606,000 (six million, six hundred and six thousand naira) belonging to jamb, an agency of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 308 of the Penal Code Law and punishable under Section 309 of the same law.”
Upon their arraignment, both defendants had pleaded not guilty to all the charges levelled against them, thus, setting the stage for their trial.
