7 yrs after, court okays Ladoja’s re-arraignment

A Federal High Court in Lagos has sanctioned the re-arraignment of a former Governor of Oyo State, Rashidi Ladoja, seven years after he was first charged to court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Justice Mohammed Idris of a Federal High Court in Lagos, Friday, fixed December 14, 2016 for Ladoja’s re-arraignment alongside Waheed Akanbi over an alleged N4.7 billion fraud.

The former Oyo State governor was first arraigned in 2008 but the suit was challenged by him all the way to the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court however dismissed his appeal on April 15, 2015, paving the way for the EFCC to re-open the case and re-arraign him before Justice Idris.

Ladoja’s lawyer, Bolaji Onilenla, however applied for a stay of proceeding, arguing that his client has not exhausted the window of appeal open to him.

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He also argued that since the Supreme Court did not hear the appeal before dismissing it, he has re-listed it for hearing.

Justice Idris however denied the application for stay of proceeding while also denying the EFCC its application to issue a warrant of arrest for the accused persons.

“The court will not make any order for arrest in the light of the appearance of the accused persons in court,” Justice Idris ruled.

In a related development, the EFCC on Friday arraigned a former Minister of Works and Housing Senator Oluseye Ogunlewe.

Ogunlewe who is the pro-chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, was arraigned alonside the vice-chancellor and bursar of the institution, Prof. Olusola Oyewole Moses Ilesanmi respectively.

They were brought before Justice O.O. Majekodunmi of the State High Court 6, Isabo, Abeokuta, on 8 counts charges bordering on financial malpractices.
By Timothy Enietan-Matthews…

 

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