Admin l Thursday, April 13, 2017
IKEJA, Lagos, Nigeria – The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC today rearraigned the late oil marketer, Opeyemi Ajuyah and Abdullahi Alao, son of the late Ibadan business mogul, Arisekola Alao, before an Ikeja High Court.
They were arraigned for alleged N1,110,049,444.35 fuel subsidy scam. The other defendants in the charge are Alao’s company, Axe Energy Ltd. and one Olanrewaju Olalusi
The commission alleged that the defendants fraudulently obtained the sum of N1,110,049,444.35 from the Federal Government under the guise that it was subsidy payments for 15,206,733 metric tons of Premium Motor Spirit, which they purportedly imported into the country.
Ajuyah who was standing trial alongside other defendants died in January 2017.
She was arraigned on May 22, 2015 alongside her company, Majope Investment, on amended eight counts by EFCC. The charges border on conspiracy, forgery and obtaining money under false pretense.
At the last adjourned date, the commission told the court that they’ve not been officially informed about the demise of Ajuyah.
While in responding, counsel to Ajuyah, Mr. Olanrewaju Ajanaku, told the court that the deceased husband is not in town to produce the death certificate, however, Ajanaku pleaded with the court to give him time to get the said certificate.
‘‘ We crave the indulgence of this honourable court to give us further time to get the death certificate across to the prosecution, so that they could be officially informed of the demise of the first defendant,’’ Ajanaku prayed.
At the resumed proceedings on Thursday, the name of the deceased, however, was not expunged from the charge.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges when they were rearraigned for the third time on Thursday. Counsel to the first and second defendant, Ajanaku informed the presiding Judge, Justice Lateefa Okunnu that he still has more witnesses to call in the ongoing trial.
The witnesses were however not in court and the Judge consequently adjourned the matter till May 13, 2017, for continuation of trial.
