ABEOKUTA – A federal high court sitting in Abeokuta has adjourned the hearing in the case between the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) and the Speaker of Ogun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Olakunle Oluomo and three others to January 23, 2022.
The hearing which was billed for hearing on Monday was adjourned to what a reliable source in the court attributed to the decision of the court to dispense all electoral matter as early as possible.
“The adjournment was to allow the court to focus on the many pre-election matters before it.
When our correspondent arrived at the court on Monday, officials of the court informed that Oluomo’s case and other similar ones were adjourned so that matters affecting the 2023 elections could be heard and decided before the deadline.
“The judges have a mandate to determine as fast as possible all the pre-election matters before them and as a result, all other cases can wait,” the court official said.
It could be recalled that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) recently filed an 11-counts charge of conspiracy, forgery and stealing against the Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Olakunle Oluomo and three others.
The charge was filed by the EFFC’s Lagos Head of Legal Monitoring Unit, Rotimi Oyedepo at the Federal High Court, Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Count 1 of the charge reads: “That you Oluomo Olakunle Taiwo, Oladayo Samuel, Adeyemo Adedeji Taiwo and Adeyanju Nimota Amoke (now at large) sometimes in 2019 in Abeokuta within the jurisdiction of this honorable Court conspired amongst yourselves to use the total sum of N2,475,000,000,000, which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of your unlawful activity to wit: stealing from the treasury of Ogun State House of Assembly and you thereby committed an offence contrary to sections 18 (a), 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act.
The Commission said it intends to call at least 10 witnesses to testify and tender documents and exhibits.
The list of witnesses includes: Adamu Usman Yusuf, Otitoju Moses Kolawale, Yazid Ahmad Bawa, Anyanwu Bright, Adekunbi Mojibola, Munkaila Huzaifa and Idowu Oluseyi Olarenwaju.
Others are representatives of Ashkash Nigeria limited, representatives of Obasanjo Holdings limited(managers of NNPC Mega Station) and representatives of Gateway Bank limited.
Count 2: That you Oluomo Olakunle Taiwo, Oladayo Samuel, Adeyemo Adedeji Taiwo and Adeyanju Nimota Amoke (now at large) between June,2019 and June,2020 in Abeokuta within the jurisdiction of this honorable Court used the total sum of N900,000,000, which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of your unlawful activities to wit: stealing from the treasury of Ogun State House of Assembly and you thereby committed an offense contrary to section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act.
Count3: That you Oluomo Olakunle Taiwo, Oladayo Samuel, Adeyemo Adedeji Taiwo and Adeyanju Nimota Amoke (now at large) between July,2020 and July,2021 in Abeokuta within the jurisdiction of this honorable Court used the total sum of N900,000,000, which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of your unlawful activities to wit: stealing from the treasury of Ogun State House of Assembly and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act.
Count 4: That you Oluomo Olakunle Taiwo, Oladayo Samuel, Adeyemo Adedeji Taiwo and Adeyanju Nimota Amoke (now at large) between August,2021 and December,2021 in Abeokuta within the jurisdiction of this honorable Court used the total sum of N375,000,000, which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of your unlawful activities to wit: stealing from the treasury of Ogun State House of Assembly and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act.
Count 5: That you Oluomo Olakunle Taiwo, Oladayo Samuel, Adeyemo Adedeji Taiwo and Adeyanju Nimota Amoke (now at large) between January,2022 and April,2022 in Abeokuta within the jurisdiction of this honorable Court used the total sum of N300,000,000, which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of your unlawful activities to wit: stealing from the treasury of Ogun State House of Assembly and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act.
Count 6: That you Oluomo Olakunle Taiwo or about the 12th day of September,2019 in Abeokuta within the jurisdiction of this honorable Court transferred the sum of N2,000,000 to BENGRAPHICS, which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of your unlawful activities to wit: stealing from the treasury of Ogun State House of Assembly and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act.
Count 7: That you Oluomo Olakunle Taiwo or about the 12th day of September,2019 in Abeokuta within the jurisdiction of this honorable Court transferred the sum of N1,100,000 to BENGRAPHICS, which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of the proceeds of your unlawful activities to wit: stealing from the treasury of Ogun State House of Assembly and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act.
Count 8:That you, Oluomo Olakunle Taiwo, Oladayo Samuel, Adeyemo Adedeji Taiwo and Adeyanju Nimota Amoke (now at large) on or about the 22nd day of August, 2019 in Abeokuta within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court fraudulently forged Ogun State of Nigeria General Claim Form with reference No: OGHA/4/AUG/2019 wherein you claimed that the sum of N10,000,000 was received by one Adewunmi Tunde and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 1(2) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act.
Count 9: That you, Oluomo Olakunle Taiwo, Oladayo Samuel, Adeyemo Adedeji Taiwo and Adeyanju Nimota Amoke (now at large) on or about the 30th day of May, 2020 in Abeokuta within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court fraudulently forged Ogun State of Nigeria General Claim Form with reference No: OGHA/11/MAY/2020 wherein you claimed that the sum of N30,250,000 was received by one Adesina Abimbola and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 1(2) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act.
Count 10: That you, Oluomo Olakunle Taiwo, Oladayo Samuel, Adeyemo Adedeji Taiwo and Adeyanju Nimota Amoke (now at large) on or about the 21st day of January, 2019 in Abeokuta within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court fraudulently forged Ogun State of Nigeria General Claim Form with reference No: OGHA/3/JAN/2019 wherein you claimed that the sum of N12,000,000 was received by one Babatunde Abiola and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 1(2) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act.
Count 11: That you, Oluomo Olakunle Taiwo, Oladayo Samuel, Adeyemo Adedeji Taiwo and Adeyanju Nimota Amoke (now at large) on or about the 26th day of January, 2019 in Abeokuta within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court fraudulently forged Ogun State of Nigeria General Claim Form with reference No: OGHA/4/JAN/2019 wherein you claimed that the sum of N16,000,000 was received by one Adebowale Jamiu and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 1(2) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act.
