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A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos State, presided over by Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke, has been urged to reschedule the planned arraignment of Ayodele Oke, the sacked Director General (DG) of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), and his wife, Folashade.
The motion was presented on the basis of the failure of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to produce the duo before the court.
Last Wednesday, the commission instituted a four-count charge against the former NIA boss and his wife.
EFCC had intended to arraign the defendants before the judge in connection with the sums of $43,449,947, £27,800 and N23,218,000 (totalling N13billion) removed by the EFCC from Flat 7B, Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos, which was linked to them.
At the proceedings on Friday, the anti-graft agency, through its lawyer, Rotimi Oyedepo, came to court without the defendants, and asked the registrar of the court to reschedule the arraignment until Wednesday, February 6, 2019.
Meanwhile, there have been speculations that Oke and his wife may have left the country.
The charges against the duo read: “That you, Amb. Ayodele Oke, Mrs. Folasade Ayodele Oke on or about the 12th day of April 2017 in Lagos concealed the sum of $43,449,947 property of the Federal Government of Nigeria in Flat 7B, No. 16 Osborne Road, Osborne Towers, Ikoyi Lagos which sum you reasonably ought to have known formed part of proceeds of an unlawful act to wit: criminal breach of trust and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15 (2) (a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.
“That you Amb. Ayodele Oke and Mrs. Folasade Ayodele Oke between 25th day of August 2015 and 2nd day of September 2015 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this court indirectly used the sum of $1,658,000 property of the Federal Government of Nigeria to acquire Flat 7B, No. 16 Osborne Road, Osborne Towers, Ikoyi Lagos which sum you reasonably ought to have known formed part of proceeds of an unlawful act to wit: criminal breach of trust and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.
“That you Amb. Ayodele Oke and Mrs. Folasade Ayodele Oke between 25th day of August 2015 and 2nd day of September 2015 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this court directly retained $160,777,136.85 property of the Federal Government of Nigeria which sum you reasonably ought to have known formed part of proceeds of an unlawful act to wit: criminal breach of trust and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.
“That you Amb. Ayodele Oke and Mrs. Folasade Ayodele Oke between 25th day of August 2015 and 2nd day of September 2015 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this court directly converted $160,777,136. 85 property of the Federal Government of Nigeria to your own use which sum you reasonably ought to have known formed part of proceeds of an unlawful act to wit: criminal breach of trust and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.”
