A Federal Capital Territory High Court, Apo, yesterday, granted former
Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Sunday Ehindero leave to file his
no-case submission out of time.
The former police boss and a Commissioner of Police in charge of
finance and budget at the Force headquarters, John Obaniyi, are being
tried by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences
Commission (ICPC) before Justice Sylvanus Oriji, on an amended
10-count charge bordering on fraud, giving false statement and
conspiracy.
They were accused by ICPC of misusing the sum of N557 million donated
by the Bayelsa Government to the Nigerian Police Force to purchase
arms and ammunition, which they were alleged to have diverted into
separate accounts belonging to them.
ICPC alleged that the defendants conspired and used their positions to
place N500million being part of N557 million donated by the Bayelsa
Government in two fixed deposit accounts.
The N500million placed in fixed deposits, according to the
anti-corruption commission, yielded N16.4 million interest, which they
were accused of using for personal purposes.
The offence contravened the provisions of sections 26(1) and 22(5) of
the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.
Both Ehindero and Obaniyi pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Following the disclosure by the prosecution counsel, Zaynab Nass, at
the last sitting on May 8 that the anti-graft agency was closing its
case after calling three witnesses, Justice Oriji, had given counsel
for the defendants to file a no-case submission in 14 days.
At the resumed sitting, Luqman Fagbemi, who held the brief of Dr Alex
Izinyon, SAN, counsel to Ehindero, informed the court that they filed
a motion seeking the leave of Court for an extension of time to file
the no-case submission on behalf of the former IGP.
With no objection from the prosecution team and the counsel for the
second defendant, Samuel Odariko, Justice Oriji granted an extension
of time for the first defendant to file his submission.
The case was then adjourned until Sept. 16 for adoption of written
addresses on the no-case submission by the parties.
