The Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) has again failed to arraign Ayodele Oke, former
director-general of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), and Folashade, his
wife, before a federal high court in Lagos.
The duo being prosecuted in
connection with some monies reportedly recovered from a flat in Ikoyi, Lagos,
were absent at the court last week Friday.
The agency had filed a four-count
charge against them in connection with the $43 million, £27,000 and N23 million
discovered in April 2017.
The NIA had claimed ownership of
the funds, saying they were part of “covert intelligence operations” but there
was public outcry that it was a case of looting.
At the resumed hearing on
Wednesday, Rotimi Oyedepo, the EFCC counsel, told the court that the anti-graft
agency has not been able to serve Oke and his wife the charge sheet as their
whereabout remains unknown.
“We are having issues with the
service of the charge sheet. We have gone to their known addresses but could
not find them to be able to serve them with the charges,” Oyedepo told the
court.
He, however, urged C.J. Aneke,
the judge, to make an order compelling the appearance of Oke and his wife
before the court, a request the court turned down.
The judge said the EFCC has not
been able to properly file their case and that “it’s when I see the file that I
can determine the urgency of any application.”
He then asked the EFCC counsel to
return in 24 hours with the relevant application that could warrant such court
order.
OKE ON THE RUN?
Shortly after it was announced
that the EFCC had charged Oke to court, a source had revealed that the spy
chief and his wife were not in the country.
They were said to have gone to an
European country“for medical reasons”.
Sources in the intelligence
community said that subjecting Oke to open trial might compromise the
nation’s security operations.
“Most of the projects financed by
NIA from the funds are aimed at gathering intelligence and these things are
usually done through cash transactions. Government might have succumbed to
public sentiments to treat it as a crime, but there will be dire consequences
for the nation’s security operations,” an NIA operative had said.
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