The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) has filed a suit at the Oyo State High Court asking the court to grant interim attachment/forfeiture of the properties of the former Head of Service in Oyo State, Alhaja Adeleke Kudirat Iyabo and others pending the hearing and final determination of fraud suit against them. Others EFCC is seeking the confiscation of their properties are: Muili Hakeem Aderemi, Iyabo Giwa, Adesina Jimoh Ayoade, Oguntayo Banji, Adebiyi Musendiq Olasunmbo, Adeduntan Johnson, Johnson Bosede and Kareem Rasheed.
The commission in the suit which was filed on Tuesday, based its prayer on the ground that the accused persons conspired and fraudulently obtained sums of money running into several billions of naira from various accounts of Oyo State Local Government Staff Pension Board domicile at different banks.
It said that the proceeds realized from the crime was channeled by the respondents to the development and purchase of some buildings property they own today hence, those property be seized pending the determination of their case.
Although, when issue of jurisdiction was raised, as the counsel to EFCC, Mr. G. K Latona opined that the commission brought exparte motion which should be strictly between the court and EFCC, in line with the arguments of the counsels to the accused, the court pointed out that there were processes challenging the payers of EFCC which further raised serious questions bothering on law.
The court further noticed that some of the property in question were not strictly own by the said owners who have used them to transact business with financial institutions like Stanbic Bank. It will be recalled that last month, EFCC commenced the trial of the 12 accused persons allegedly to have stolen N5.6 pension fund in September 2010.Subsequent upon the arraignment, the court ruled that the accused persons be kept in Agodi Prison custody pending the determination of their case.
Justice M. O Olagunju of court 11 however adjourned the hearing of the suit to December 20, 2013
