3 INEC Officials Remanded Over Alleged N177.3m Fraud

3 INEC Officials Remanded Over Alleged N177.3m Fraud

Three officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were on Wednesday ordered to be remanded in prison by Justice Chuka Obiozor of a Federal High Court in Lagos over alleged N177.3 million fraud.

The order was sequel to their arraignment by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a 5-count charge bordering on the alleged fraud.

The officials; Gbadegun Isaiah Abiodun, Oladipo Oladapo and Afolabi Peter Albert, however pleaded not guilty to the alleged offence.

EFCC’s lawyer, Ekene Iheanacho, later sought for a trial date and prayed that the accused persons be remanded in prison custody.

In his response, defence lawyer, Dapo Esan, drew the court’s attention to his clients’ bail application and asked for a short adjournment to argue it.

He also urged the court to remand the defendants in EFCC custody on the grounds of ill health.

Justice Obiozor while adjourning the case to August 7 for hearing of the bail application, however ordered the defendants to be remanded in Ikoyi prison.

Some of the counts against the accused persons read; “That you, Gbadegun Isaiah Abiodun, Oladipo Oladapo and Afolabi Peter Albert and others at large, on or about the 30th day of March 2015 in Nigeria, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, conspired amongst yourselves to accept a cash payment of the sum of N177,300,000( One Hundred and Seventy- seven Million, Three Hundred Thousand Naira Only), which exceeded the N5,000,000.00( Five Million Naira) Limit, without going through a financial institution, contrary to Section 18 and punishable under Section 16(2) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011 (as amended by the Act No.1, 2012).

“That you, Gbadegun Isaiah Abiodun, Oladipo Oladapo and others at large, sometimes in April 2015 in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court used the sum of N22,000,000.00 (Twenty-two Million Naira only) which represents your proceeds of unlawful activity, to wit: forgery, contrary to Section 15(2)(d) and punishable under Section 15(3) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 (as amended by the Act No.1, 2012)”.