EFCC CHAIRMAN

EFCC arraigns MKO Abiola’s second son, Deji over alleged N35.5 million fraud.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday arraigned Deji Abiola-- second son of late Chief MKO Abiola-- over an alleged N35.5 million fraud.
The son of the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 Presidential Election was arraigned before an Ikeja High Court presided over by Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo.
Abiola who had spent time in EFCC custody, was, however, granted bail on the one-count charge bothering on stealing by fraudulent conversion, in the sum of N2 million with two sureties in like sum.
EFCC lawyer, Omeiza Adebola alleged that the accused had on May 24, 2008 collected N35.5 million from one Jide Jose, under the pretext of importing printing machines from Switzerland for him.
He claimed that Abiola never supplied the said machines to the complainant and had converted the money to his personal use.
The alleged offence, according to him, contravenes Section 390 (7) of the Criminal Code Law, Cap C17, Laws of Lagos State 2003.
Abiola had pleaded not guilty to the charge and the court proceeded to hear the bail application filed by his lawyer, Mr O.A. Fasugba.
Fasugba urged the court to grant the accused bail on very lenient terms, adding that his alleged offence was a bail able one.
But Omezia had opposed the bail application, alleging that Abiola had in the past attempted to compromise the EFCC’s investigation of the matter by bribing one Katongo and Jamila with N20,000.
In his ruling, Onigbanjo granted the accused bail in the sum of N2 million with two sureties in like sum.
Onigbanjo said: ``One of the sureties must be a relative while the other should be a non-relative. Both sureties must be resident in Lagos and must produce evidence of three years’ tax clearance before the court.”
The judge also ordered Abiola to deposit his international passport with the EFCC, and that it could only be released with the express permission of the court.
It also ordered that an operative of the EFCC must verify the business and residential addresses of the two sureties and make a report to the court’s registrar.
Kola Abiola—Deji’s older brother-- and other family members were present in court and have commenced the processes to secure his bail at the time of filing this report.