EFCC to arraign Ohakim, Lamido tomorrow

• Metuh’s trial continues today

AN interesting week may be in the offing as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) continues several pending high-profile cases, starting with Olisa Metuh’s appearance at the Federal High Court 10 in Abuja today.

The case by Justice O.E. Abang was last heard on Tuesday January 19 when he was granted N400 million bail, which he is yet to meet, was on allegation that the spokesman of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) received N400 million from former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki.

The said amount was alleged to be part of the $2.1 billion arms procurement fund under former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Former governors of Imo and Jigawa states, Ikedi Ohakim and Sule Lamido respectively are expected to appear in court on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday January 26, 27 and 28 for further hearing on their corruption cases with the EFCC.

While Ohakim would appear at Federal High Court 6 before Justice Ademola Adeniyi on Tuesday and Wednesday January 26 and 27, Sule Lamido will appear before the same judge on Wednesday and Thursday January 27 and 28.
Ohakim was arrested for N270 million fraud allegedly committed while he was governor of Imo state.

The said amount was reported to have been used to acquire a property in Abuja.

Ohakim, according to an EFCC witness, has paid the sum in hard currency of $2.29 million to acquire a piece of land at Plot No. 1098 Cadastral Zone A04, Asokoro District, otherwise known as No.60, Kwame Nkurumah Street, Asokoro, Abuja.

He was admitted to bail by Justice Ademola on Thursday, July 9, 2015 after his arraignment on three count charge of money laundering by the EFCC.
Sule Lamido, alongside his sons, Aminu and Mustapha with Aminu Wada Abubakar and Batholomew Darlington Agoha, are standing trial before Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on a 27-count amended charge bordering on corruption and money laundering.

He had allegedly received N1.3 billion as kickback from a contractor, Dantata and Sawoe Construction company.

The companies arraigned along with them were Bamaina Holdings Limited, Bamaina Company Nigeria Limited, Bamaina Aluminium Limited and Speeds International Limited, through which they allegedly carried out the fraud. Lamido and his co-accused had been arraigned before Justice Evelyn Anyadike of the Federal High Court, Kano State, on July 9, 2015 for allegedly misappropriating funds belonging to Jigawa State.

Their case was later transferred to the Federal High Court, Abuja.

Other personalities billed to face the courts in February are former Head of Service, Stephen Oronsaye, former governor of Zamfara state, Ahmed Yerima former governor of Nasarawa state, Akwe Doma, former Benue governor Gabriel Suswam, media mogul, Raymond Dokpesi, a suspect in the police pension probe, Essai Dangaba, and former Defence Minister, Haliru Mohammed.

SOURCE: GUARDIAN