N.3Billion Fraud: EFCC Arraigns APC Chairman, 4 College Officials, Contractor In Osun

The authority of the anti-graft body, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) on Wednesday May 17th,2017, has arraigned the Osun West Senatorial District Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Yinusa Amobi and other top officials of the Osun State College of Education(OSSCE), Ila-Orangun before Justice M. A. Onyetenu of the Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo on 8-count charge bordering on stealing, forgery and criminal conspiracy of breach of public trust.

The source closed to the college has it that the the leader of the accused persons in the alleged illegal diversion of over N.3billion public funds approved for the construction of Amphitheatre (Lecture Theatre) and other valuable projects in the institution and younger brother to the former Interim National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Bisi Akande, Mr. Oyeniyi Akande who is currently the Part-time Chairman of the Governing Council of the College, had been on the run since last week.

Although,the information has it that Mr. Akande has been hiding in the State Government House,Oke-fia,Osogbo,while calling on the anti-graft agency to officially wrote the State Governor,Mr Rauf Aregbesola to produce Mr. Akande as appointee of the governor,so as to face the
prosecution of the crime being conspired to be committed in the College.

Those that were arraigned along with Amobi,a member of College Governing Council and who was still in the midst of controversy surrounding the death of the First Executive Governor of the State,Senator Isiaka Adeleke;former Bursar(now Bursar College of Education, Ilesa), Mr. Akin Latilo,College former Acting Provost, Dr. Basiru Gbadamosi, the members of the Governing Council, Mr. David Olayinka Olojede,Mr. Kujeunbola Oluwafemi and the College’s Director of Works,Mr. Ogungbemi.

The alleged offence contrary to section 1(1)(a) &8(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act and section 98,99 and 516 of the Criminal Code Act Cap,Laws of the Federation.

While the accused persons were not represented by any counsel in the Court but they pleaded not guilty to all the charges preferred against them and EFCC was represented by Barrister Chukwu Emeka.

The arraignment was as a result of the Petitioned Letter dated Monday 21st March, 2016 written by the Osun State based Civil Society Organization (CSO), the Civil Societies Coalition for the Emancipation of Osun State (CSCEOS) which was forwarded to the Acting Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magun over the subject matter and it would be recalled that the group led by its Chairman,Comrade Adeniyi, Alimi Sulaiman had earlier appeared before the anti-graft agency to
endorse its Petition Letter.

The Presiding Judge, Justice Onyetenu,while fixing 31st of May, 2017 for considering the bail for the accused persons, ordered the accused persons to be remanded in Ilesa maximum prison till the next date of adjournment.

According to the statement issued by the CSCEOS’s Directorate of Media and Strategy, which was made available to newsmen on Thursday, Comrade Sulaiman disclosed that out of the sum of One hundred and seven Million naira (N107m) first payment released to the Sky Bank, Ring Road Ibadan branch Account Number:1771403093 of the Digitpro Engineering Technology Ltd, Ibadan, being the part of mobilization fees for the construction of a Lecture Theatre (Amphittheatre), sum of N41,093,694.36 on March 4th, 2014 were diverted to the Fidelity Bank Plc Account Number:5600078243 with Cheque Number:00000005 of De Capstone Ltd where Mr. Akande had vested interest.

It urged the Court to apply section 351 of the Criminal Procedure Act(CPA), to issue a bench warrant to compel the leader of the accused persons,Mr. Akande to be produced in court in order to take his
plea,appreciating the efforts of the anti-graft body to free our society from shackle of corrupt practices and assurance that the EFCC would do justice to the group’s petition without fear or favour.

“As third eye of the people, it is our responsibility and right to expose every yoke of corruption in our society as stipulated in the Sections 15 sub-section(5) and 24 sub-sections (1e) of the amended 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”, it added.

It therefore advised the Aregbesola’s administration to purge Mr. Akande and his co-travelers that were currently facing trial over an alleged N.3billion fraud out of the institution before they destroyed the citadel of learning, adding that “Law is no respecter of anybody”.