The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday, re-arraigned the former governor of Oyo State, Otunba Adebayo Christopher Alao-Akala and two other for alleged conspiracy to steal and award of contracts without budget provision.
Other accused persons who were re-arraigned before Justice A. O. Boade of the State High Court, Ibadan, were Honourable Hosea Ayoola Agboola, a serving senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and former commissioner of local government and chieftaincy matters in Oyo State and Olufemi Ademola Babalola, a contractor.? The case was previously before Justice M. Abbas.
At the resumed hearing of the case today, counsel to the EFCC, Godwin Obla and lead counsel to the accused persons, Lateef Fagbemi both said they did not apply for the case to be transferred from the court of Justice Abbas. “If some people will sit somewhere and decide who handle a case, it does not go well for the judiciary,” Fagbemi said.
However, Justice A. O. Boade said he knew nothing about it as the case was only assigned to him. Counsel to EFCC, Godwin Obla then told the court that as it is in law, the case was starting de novo and therefore the accused persons were to take their plea again. He therefore asked the court to allow the accused persons to take their plea. The trio pleaded not guilty to the eleven (11) count charge for which they were arraigned.
Fagbemi asked the court to grant bail to the accused persons on the same terms that they were granted bail by Justice M. Abbas. He said what was most important was to ensure the presence of the accused persons in court during trial and that the coming of the accused persons to court today was a confirmation of that fact. He reminded the court that the accused persons were first arraigned on October 11 and granted bail on October 11 by Justice Abbas.
Obla, counsel to EFCC agreed that it was not the first arraignment of the accused persons in respect of the same charge. He said based on the existing ruling, he would rather leave the matter to the court to decide on whether to grant the accused persons bail on the same bail term or otherwise.”We don't want to belabour the issue of bail. We want the trial to start as quickly as possible. Give us clear days in the new year to start our case,” he told the court.
Justice Boade admitted the three accused persons to bail with the same bail terms under Justice Abbas. Alao-Akala was granted bail in the sum of N500 million and two sureties in like sum with landed property worth N100 million within the jurisdiction of the court. The two other persons were granted bail in the sum of N300 million and two sureties in like sum with landed property worth N100 million within the jurisdiction of the court. The case was adjourned to February 20 -22 for trial.