N5.6bn pension fraud: Ex-Oyo HOS, others denied bail

An Oyo State High Court on Tuesday, ruled against the bail applications filed by the former Head of Service in the state, Mrs. Kudirat Adeleke, and 11 others, who are standing trial for alleged N5.6bn pension fraud.

Justice Bolaji Yusuf, who gave the ruling during the Tuesday sitting in Ibadan, said counsel for the 12 accused persons could not convince the court to rule in their clients’ favour.

The accused Adeleke, Muili Aderemi, Iyabo Giwa, Adesina Ayoade, Oguntayo Banji, Adebiyi Olasunmbo, Muili Adedamola, Adeduntan Johnson, Johnson Bosede, Kareem Rasheed, Olujimi Adebayo and Adewale Kehinde are all standing trial for the embezzlement of pension fund totalling N5.6bn, which belongs to teachers in the state.

The 12 accused persons were first arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on November 7 for 213 counts of conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretence and forgery.

The prosecution alleged that the accused persons withdrew the sums in bits from accounts belonging to the Oyo State Local Government Staff Pension Board between September 2010 and March 2011. They, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Some of them sought bail on health grounds.

While reviewing the documents presented to the court to argue the bail applications, the judge held that all the accused persons, who wanted to be granted bail on health ground, did not give any convincing evidence to prove that they were suffering from poor health.

The judge said although one of the accused, Aderemi, was suffering from hypertension, EFCC had confirmed in its affidavit that he was given proper medical attention while in its custody.

“The applicant has failed to place cogent and convincing materials before the court to prove that he is suffering from ill-health,” she said.

Denying the former HOS bail, the judge said the letter attached to the application did not reveal any serious health failure.

Yusuf said the letter only stated that the applicant was in the UK for a cosmetic operation, which was contrary to what her lawyer, Richard Ogunwole, had told the court.

The judge said coupled with the promise of EFCC to take proper care of the accused, Oyo State Government also promised to attend to their medical needs when needed.

The judge said the severity of the offence was enough to tempt the accused persons to want to jump bail. The next hearing of the case comes up on December 12 and 13.