The judge also ordered the arrest of Bashir Alkali, a former permanent secretary in the same ministry.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had filed charges against the former minister, who served in the administration of late President Muhammadu Buhari, Alkali and Sani Rabiu.

They were to be arraigned sometimes in 2025 but the arraignment could not hold due to the absence of the defendants in court.

On March 23, Justice Onwuegbuzie ordered substituted service on them and directed the EFCC to paste the charge on their known addresses.

At the resumed sitting, the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Jacobs SAN, informed the court of an exparte application by the prosecution seeking warrant of arrest for Farouq and Alkali.

The application, according to Jacobs, was brought pursuant to Section 352 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015.

Jacobs, however, amended the application in view of the fact that Rabiu, was present in court.

Abdul Ibrahim SAN appeared for the former minister.

Ruling, the court noted that Exhibit SF1 attached to the affidavit in support of the application was an affidavit of service of the charge on the defendants as directed by the court at the last sitting.

Having been satisfied that the former minister and the second defendant refused to appear before the court after service, Justice Onwuegbuzie subsequently issued bench warrant for the arrest of the first and second defendant.

He then adjourned the matter until May 18 for arraignment.

Source: NAN

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Its spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, said this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.

He said that the EFCC chairman, Mr Ola Olukoyede, handed over the property to the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, during a brief ceremony in Abuja.

He said the property was located at Plot 109 Cadastral Zone C09, Lokogoma District,  measuring 150,500 square metres and containing 753 Units of duplexes and other apartments.

According to him, the property was recovered based on a final forfeiture order granted by Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court Abuja on Monday, Dec. 2, 2024.

While handing over the property, Olukoyede reiterated the commitment of the EFCC to accountable asset recovery and disposal modalities.

He said such gestures were meant  to demonstrate to Nigerians that whatever proceeds of crime they recovered in the course of the agency’s work would be made transparent to Nigerians.

According to him, the commission would not allow looted assets to be looted again.

“It is important for us to emphasise to Nigerians that the fight against corruption can work and we can really make it work.

“One of the key factors that actually propels the impact of the fight is the need for us to ensure that those who have stolen our commonwealth are not allowed to enjoy the proceeds of crime.

“So one of the critical factors of our works is that we deprive them of the proceeds of the crime.”

He lauded President Bola Tinubu’s stance on the fight against corruption.

READ ALSO: Pure water sachets, pet bottles not included in ban on SUPs -Lagos

The EFCC spokesman affirmed that the handover of the property signalled the government’s seriousness to the fight against economic and financial crimes and other acts of corruption.

Dangiwa at a brief handing over ceremony in the ministry praised the EFCC for its sustained commitment to asset recovery and anti-corruption.

The minister stated that the exercise was a “significant milestone in our collective efforts and determination to ensure that recovered assets are put to productive use in ways that directly benefits the Nigerian people.”

He assured that the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development would conduct a joint familiarization tour of the estate, alongside the EFCC to properly access the structural state of the Estate.

Source: NAN

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Agunloye was charged with seven counts bordering on forgery, disobedience of presidential order and corruption in the suit marked FCT/HC/CR/617/22, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against him.

Ruling in Agunloye’s bail application, Justice Onwuegbuzie held that the defendant had placed enough facts before the court for it to be granted bail.

He added that bail was meant to ensure a defendant is present in court to face trial.

He further held that bail was at the discretion of the court.

The judge held that the court was favourably disposed to grant bail to the applicant/defendant and subsequently granted Agunloye bail in the sum of N50 million with two sureties in like sum.

He ordered that the sureties must be persons of means and repute who possess landed property worth N300 million and must deposit photocopies of the documents of the property as well as that of their passports with the court.

The judge added that the sureties also had to be residents of FCT and their residences would be verified by the registrar of the court.

He further ordered that Agunloye must drop his passport with the court and must not travel out of the country without the permission of the court.

Earlier, counsel for Agunloye, Adeola Adedipe SAN, said the former minister was not a flight risk, contrary to the prosecution’s claim to that effect.

According to him, Agunloye had voluntarily gone to EFCC office on May 16, 2023 before the commission wrote a letter inviting him on May 19, 2023.

He told the court that shortly after the May 16 visit to EFCC, the defendant fell ill and was admitted in a hospital, which he (Agunloye) duly notified the commission in writing and pleaded for time to enable him honour the invitation.

According to Adedipe, the defendant filed a suit in court when EFCC’s pressure was becoming too much and also notified the anti-graft agency of the pendency of the suit, only for EFCC to later declare him wanted on December 13, 2023.

Adedipe urged the court to grant the defendant bail in self recognizance being an elderly statesman, the pioneer Corps Marshall of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, and his ill-health or in the alternative be granted bail in most liberal terms.

Citing the Appeal Court decision on Dasuki vs DG, Department of State Service, DSS, the senior counsel urged the court not to ask the defendant to get civil servant as a surety before being granted bail.

He further said that the provision of Section 352(4) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) has cleared the apprehension of court on whether a defendant granted bail would jump bail or not.

Responding, prosecution counsel, Abba Mohammed, urged the court to refuse bail for the defendant being a flight risk.

He added that the court should equally discountenance the submission made by Adedipe from the Bar, urging the court to confine itself with the issues raised in affidavits and counter-affidavits before it.

EFCC equally urged the court to disregard the authority of Dasuki vs DG, DSS cited by Adedipe, arguing that using it would breach the prosecution’s right to fair hearing as guaranteed by Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

Justice Onwuegbuzie however adjourned the case until February 12 for hearing.

Source: NAN

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