Alleged N2.5bn Money Laundering: EFCC arraigns Ogun assembly speaker

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned the Speaker of the Ogun State House Assembly, Olakunle Oluomo, before a Federal High Court in Lagos.

He was arraigned alongside the Director of Finance of the State Assembly, Oladayo Samuel, as well as the Clerk of the House, Adeyemo Taiwo.

The defendants were arraigned at about 10am on Tuesday before Justice Daniel Osiagor on 11 counts of conspiracy, forgery, and stealing.

They all pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Mr Oluomo was arraigned before Justice Osiagor barely a week after he was arrested by the anti-graft agency on corruption allegations.

He was intercepted by EFCC operatives on Thursday last week at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos, although the leadership of the commission initially kept mum over the development.

The speaker was said to have been released a day after he was arrested but asked to report back the following Monday.

Upon his return to the EFCC office, he was reportedly detained again.

During their arraignment on Tuesday, Justice Osiagor heard the bail applications of the defendants.

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Following no objections from the EFCC, the judge granted Oluomo bail in the sum of N300m with two sureties in like sum.

In granting bail to the speaker, Justice Osiagor held that one of his sureties must be not less than a level 16 officer in the civil service while the other must possess landed property within the court’s jurisdiction.

The court also granted the second and third defendants bail in the sum of N100 million with two sureties also in like sum.

One of their sureties, according to the judge, must not be less than a level 14 officer in the civil service and the other must also possess landed property within the court’s jurisdiction.

While the defendants were directed to deposit their travel documents with the registrar of the court, all the sureties were required to possess three years of tax clearance and swear to an affidavit of means.