The Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr. Adeyemi Sabit Ikuforiji and his Personal Assistant, Oyebode Alade Atoyobe, were this morning arraigned before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, on a 20-count charge of transacting financial business without going through a financial institution.
The Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr. Adeyemi Sabit Ikuforiji and his Personal Assistant, Oyebode Alade Atoyobe, were this morning arraigned before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, on a 20-count charge of transacting financial business without going through a financial institution.
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In the first charge, the Speaker and his aide were accused of conspiring between April 2010 and July 2011 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of the court to collect money from the Assembly without going through financial institution and also making various cash payments in aggregate sum of N503 million from the House of Assembly without going through any financial institution.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Prosecutor, Chief Godwin Obla, said that the offence allegedly committed by the Speaker and his PA is contrary to Section 1(a) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act, 2004 and punishable under Section 16(3) (b) of the same Act.
The speaker and his PA pleaded not guilty to all the charges preferred against them.
Consequently, Mr. Tayo Oyetibo, SAN, leading others, Abiodun Onidare and Tunde Akinnimisi applied for bail.
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He told the court that the two defendants should be allowed bail on self recognition.
However, the prosecuting counsel, Obla, did not oppose granting of bail to the speaker on self recognition, but urged the court to impose bail conditions on his PA.
In his ruling, the presiding judge, Justice Okechukwu Okeke, admitted Ikuforiji to bail on self recognition and ordered the clerk of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr. Segun Abiru to stand as surety to the PA.
Thereafter, Abiru, who was in the court premises was called into the court room. He did not raise objection to the court ruling. Justice Okeke later adjourned the matter till 26 March 2012 for trial.
EFCC PRESS RELEASE:- EFCC Docks Ikuforiji, Speaker Lagos State House of Assembly
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on Thursday March 1, 2012 arraigned the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Honourable Adeyemi Sabit Ikuforiji and his personal assistant Oyebode Alade Atoyebi before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos. The duo were arraigned before Justice Okechukwu Okeke on a 20 count charge of allegedly conspiring to commit an illegal act of accepting cash payments amounting to N273,303,780 (Two hundred and seventy three million, three hundred and three thousand, seven hundred and eighty naira) from the Lagos State House of Assembly without going through a financial institution, thereby committing an offence contrary to sections 18(a) of the money laundering (prohibition) Act 2011 and punishable under sections 16(2) (b) of the same Act.
The accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to them. Tayo Oyetibo, SAN counsel to the 1st accused person told the court that he had filed a motion for bail and that the motion had been served on the prosecution counsel. The same argument was canvassed by counsel to the 2nd accused person.
Counsel to the EFCC, Godwin Obla said he was not going to oppose the bail but was more interested in the expeditious hearing of the substantive matter.
Justice Okeke then granted Ikuforiji bail on self recognition while his personal assistant was also granted bail with the Clerk of the House standing as his surety.
The EFCC had tried to arraign the speaker and his co-accused before Justice James Tsogho on 30th of Janaury but did not succeed as Justice Tsogho decline to hear the case on personal grounds.
Part of the 20 amended charge read:
Count one
That you Rt. Honourable Adeyemi Sabit Ikuforiji and Oyebode Alade Atoyebi sometimes between April 2010 and July 2011 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did conspire among yourselves to do an illegal act, to wit accepting various cash payments amounting in the aggregrate to the sum of N273,303,780 (Two hundred and seventy three million, three hundred and three thousand, seven hundred and eighty naira) only from the Lagos State House of Assembly without going through a financial institution, thereby committed an offence contrary to sections 18(a) of the money laundering (prohibition) Act 2011 and punishable under sections 16(2) (b) of the same act.
Count Two
That you Rt. Honourable Adeyemi Sabit Ikuforiji, whilst being the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly and Oyebode Alade Atoyebi whilst being the personal assistant to the Speaker of the Lagos state House of Assembly sometime between April 2010 and July 2011 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did accept a cash payment of the sum of N7,150,000.00 (Seven million, one hundred and Fifty Thousand naira) only from the Lagos State House of Assembly without going through a financial institution and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2004 and punishable under section 15(2) (b) of the same Act.
Count 3
That you, Rt. Honourable Adeyemi Sabit Ikuforiji whilst being the speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly sometime between April 2010 and July 2011 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did accept a cash payment of the sum of N8,135,083.00 (Eight Million, one hundred and thirty five thousand, Eight three naira) only through one Oyebode Alade Atoyebi (your personal assistant) from the Lagos state of Assembly without going through a financial institution and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (a) of the money laundering (prohibition) act, 2004 and punishable under section 15(2) (b) of the same act.
Wilson Uwujaren
Ag. Head, Media & Publicity
1st March, 2012
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