N1.4bn fraud: Court remands ex-OAU VC, bursar in EFCC custody

Femi Makinde and Eniola Akinkuotu

An Osun State High Court sitting in Ede has ordered that a former Acting Vice Chancellor of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Prof. Anthony Elujoba, and the Bursar of the institution, Mrs. Aderonke Akeredolu, be remanded in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Justice A. T. Oladimeji, said this in his ruling on Friday following the arraignment of Elujoba and Akeredolu by the EFCC for alleged stealing.

The charges against them bother on stealing, fraud and conspiracy among others.

The arraignment of Elujoba prompted workers and leaders of the academic and non-academic staff unions of the university to storm the court in solidarity with the former acting vice chancellor.

The substantive Vice Chancellor, Prof. Eyitope Ogunbodede, was also in court in solidarity with Elujoba.

The prosecutor said, “That you Prof. Anthony Elujoba  and Aderonke Akeredolu in the month of August and September 2016 at Ile Ife within the jurisdiction of this court conspired with yourselves  to commit felony: stealing money belonging to Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.

“That you, Prof. Elujoba and Aderonke Akeredolu in the month of August and September 2016 at Ile-Ife in the jurisdiction of the court did fraudulently convert  to your own use the sum of N5,477,595 belonging to Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, which you purportedly claimed is furniture allowance.

“That you, Aderonke Akeredolu, between the  month of August and September at Ile-Ife between the jurisdiction of this court, fraudulently converted the sum of N300,000 belonging to Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife in Osun State, which is purported to be your productivity bonus.

“That you, Anthony Elujoba and Aderonke Akeredolu, between the month of August and September 2016 at Ile-Ife, within the court jurisdiction used your office  to share to your colleagues the sum of N1,060,725,000  as productivity bonus.”

Counsel to the defendants, Ibrahim Lawal, made a written application for the bail of the two accused persons.

He argued that the defendants were given administrative bail by the EFCC before and they did not abuse the privilege.

The EFFC’s counsel, Mr. Festus Ojo, opposed the bail application, saying the defendants might tamper with the case.

The presiding judge said the defendants’ counsel was precluded from making oral application since he had filed a written application for the bail of the accused persons.

He ordered that Elujoba and the bursar should be remanded in EFCC custody until when the bail application would be argued.

The SSANU chairman, Mr. Ademola Oketunde, who spoke with journalists on the court premises, called on Ibrahim Magu to call his officers in Ibadan office to order, saying they were apparently biased in the discharge of their duties.

The EFCC said in a statement by its spokesman, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, that the defendants were arraigned following a petition alleging that Elujoba, alongside the bursar, diverted over N1bn from the university’s Fixed Assets and Endowment Fund without approval from the Federal Ministry of Education and Governing Council of the University to pay some unapproved allowances from which he (the VC) received N7m as furniture allowance.

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them.

Justice Oladimeji adjourned the case till July 11, 2017 for hearing of the bail applications and remands the defendants in the EFCC custody.

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Source: Punchng
N1.4bn fraud: Court remands ex-OAU VC, bursar in EFCC custody

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