Ikoyi cash: EFCC declares ex-NIA DG, Oke, wife wanted

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Sunday declared wanted, the sacked Director General (DG) of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ambassador Ayodele Oke, and his wife, Folashade. The EFCC had earlier filed a four-count criminal charge against the duo before the Federal High Court in Lagos. However, the arraignment before Justice C.J. Aneke […]

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Sunday declared wanted, the sacked Director General (DG) of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ambassador Ayodele Oke, and his wife, Folashade.

The EFCC had earlier filed a four-count criminal charge against the duo before the Federal High Court in Lagos.

However, the arraignment before Justice C.J. Aneke which was not unconnected with the sums of $43,449,947, £27,800 and N23,218,000 (totalling N13billion) removed by the EFCC from Flat 7B Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos linked to them did not take place.

This was because EFCC failed to produce them in court.

The EFCC prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo, who came to court without the defendants, asked the court registrars to reschedule the arraignment.

There had been online reports suggesting that Oke and his wife may have left the country.

In the charge, the EFCC alleged that Oke and Folashade “indirectly concealed the sum of $43,449, 947, property of the Federal Government of Nigeria in Flat 7B, No. 16, Osborne Road, Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos, which sum you reasonably ought to have known formed parts of proceeds of an unlawful act, to wit: criminal breach of trust.”

The duo were alleged to have committed the crime on April 12, 2017, contrary to Section 15(2)(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Amendment Act 2012.

In the second count, they were alleged to have between August 27, 2015 and September 2015 “indirectly used $1,658,000,” belonging to the Federal Government, contrary to the law.

In the third and fourth counts, the duo were alleged to have “directly retained the sum of $160,777,136.85,” belong to the Federal Government.