Ibadan-born former minister of state for Federal Capital Territory, Oloye Jumoke Akinjide, may be detained till Thursday, 22nd June, 2017 when she would be arraigned for money laundering.
This is just as a member of Federal House of Representatives, Aliyu Ahman Pategi, her surety, who was arrested last week by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been released after she appeared at the commission’s Lagos office.
The commission had filed a 24-count charge against her with suit No. FHC/IB/26C/2017 before Justice Ayo Emmanuel in Suit No.
It was learnt that the former minister did not show up when the anti-graft agency initially attempted to arraign her at the Federal High Court in Ibadan
Akinjide, it was also gathered, refused to turn up in court after more than three proceedings despite the service of the charges on her, a situation that prompted the court to threaten to dismiss the charges if the prosecution fails to produce her at the next adjourned date.
However, the release of her surety, Pategi, who is believed to be her ‘husband’, came after a joint request of both the counsel for the Commission, Rotimi Oyedepo, and the defendant’s lawyer, Olusegun Williams, to withdraw the case.
Pategi, it would be recalled, was arrested last Friday due to his inability to provide Akinjide in court.
Magistrate Afolashade Boloku of Lagos Magistrate Court, Igbosere, consequently struck out the suit and ordered the anti-graft agency to release Pategi.
Pategi, who is believed to be Akinjide’s husband, stood surety and entered a bail bond of N650million for the Ibadan-born politician who was detained in 2016 for alleged money laundering.
According to SaharaReporter, Akinjide “had continuously jumped the administrative bail granted her by the anti-graft agency.”
At the resume hearing today, Williams informed that his client had reached out to the prosecution to negotiate the possibility of settling out of court. He then urged the court to step down the matter for him to consult with his client and initiate negotiation with the prosecution.
“It is correct that the business of the day is for bail and possibility of a preliminary objection,” Williams said but added; “I am obliged to inform the court that at the tail end of your lordship coming to sit, we have reached out to negotiate and we are negotiating terms for an amiable terms”
The judge granted the request to step the matter down.
However, the matter was eventually struck out with the information that Akinjide had turned herself in.
Rotimi told the court; “I confirm from lead of operation EFCC zonal office in Lagos that Mrs Jumoke Akinjide has turned herself in the custody of EFCC. Since it was the inability of the 3nd respondent to produce her that triggered the application, we will therefore in the interest of justice apply for the suit to strike out in view of the success of the 2nd defendant to produce the 1st defendant”.
