Absence of EFCC lawyer stalls arraignment of speaker, four others over N2.4m fraud

The arraignment of the Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Bamidele Oleyelogun over alleged N2.4 million fraud was on Tuesday stalled at the Ondo State High Court, sitting at the Olokuta Medium Correctional Centre, Akure, following the absence of the lawyer to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Didanj Fredrick.

It was gathered that Oleyelogun is being arraigned by the EFCC alongside the Clerk of the House, Bode Adeyelu, the lawmaker representing Akoko South-West One in the House, Felemu Bankole and two other employees.

Oleyelogun and some members and officials of the Assembly were alleged by Hon. Iroju Ogundeji, the ex-deputy speaker of the assembly of collecting and sharing some money for a seminar in Lagos that was slated for Wednesday, 11 and Thursday 12, December 2019 which they never attended.

According to the details in the document requesting for the fund, “The seminar was aimed at institutional productivity, consciousness and excellence in service among workers and organisations in both public and private sectors, to accord workers and organizations the platform in achieving high productivity as well as giving impetus to the seminar in charting the pathway in revitalizing the Educational Sector.”

However, it was discovered that there was no such seminar organised, thereby the money released by the state Ministry of Finance amounting to N2.4 million allegedly went to private pockets.

They were however detained by EFCC in March 2021 for almost two weeks. The detained civil servants include Olusegun Kayode Oyadeji and OJ. Afolabi.

Meanwhile, operatives of the Olokuta Correctional Centre prevented journalists who were on ground to cover the court proceedings from entering the court.

A Squadron Commander, who manned the entry point, insisted that journalists could not be allowed in because there was an order from Abuja that all correctional centres should be on red alert to prevent jailbreak.