Officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday, arrested ten psrsons accused of defrauding the Oyo state Government of 1.59 billion Naira at the premises of the magistrate Court, Iyaganku. Ibadan.

The accused were Alhaji Hakeem Muili, Alhaja Iyabo Giwa, Adeduntan Johnson, Oguntayo Banji and Adesina Jimoh.

Others are Johnson Bosede, Adebiyi Olasumbo, Kareem Rasheed, Muili Adamola and Salewa Adedeji.

The defendants were arrested by the EFCC immediately they stepped out of the court premises and were conveyed in the commission’s bus to Lagos  immediately.

One of the accused, Alhaja Iyabo Giwa, however escaped arrest even though she was present at the court premises.

The arrest was sequel to an Ibadan Chief Magistrate’s Court earlier ruling by Chief Magistrate Durosaro KehindeTijani which struck out the case, based on the application made by the principal State Counsel. Ademola Ojekunle on June 4.

She cited section 75 and 211(1) of the 1999 constitution earlier cited by Ojemola, empowering the Attorney General to withdraw the matter.

The Oyo State government had applied for the striking out of the case through its Attorney General to enable the EFCC take proper control of the matter for effective investigation and eventual prosecution of the alleged culprits.

Tijani then struck out the charges against the defendants. Mr Adebayo Ojo, the Oyo State Attorney General and Commissioner of justice affirmed the EFCC had taken over the matter. Ojo said that the defendants would be charged to curt if found culpable in a fresh investigation to be conducted by the EFCC.

It would be recalled that the prosecutor and principal state Counsel, Ademola Ojekunle, had told the court that the state’s Attorney General, Mr Adebayo Ojo, had instructed him to withdraw the charges against the accused persons. Ojekunle said that the withdrawal of the charges would aid further investigation and prosecution of the matter.