The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, today, arraigned former governor of Oyo State, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, and two other persons; Senator Hosea Ayoola Agboola and Mr. Olufemi Ademola Babalola, a private businessman before Justice Moshood Abass of the Oyo State High Court on an 11 count charge bordering on abuse of office to awarding contracts without budget provision and obtaining by false pretence.
The accused persons allegedly defrauded the state of over N11 billion during Alao-Akala’s four-year tenure as governor of the state. Agboola, now a serving Senator at the National Assembly was the state commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters under Akala, while Babalola was a contractor with the state government.
The trio were accused of offences ranging from conspiracy to obtain by false pretence contrary to section 8 of the advance fee fraud and other related offences act, concealing the genuine ownership of two properties in London and conspiracy to? award contract/awarding contract without budget provision; an offence which is punishable under section 22 (4) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.
The three accused persons however pleaded not guilty to the charges when it was read to them. Counsel to EFCC, Godwin Obla then asked the court to fix a date for their trial. However, counsel to the accused persons, Mamman Osuman, a senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN who led three other senior advocates, Chief Bola Ayorinde, N. O. Oke, and 17 other lawyers told the court that he had filed an application for bail.
Read more later.