The Federal Appeal Court sitting in Ilorin, Kwara State on Monday vacated the bench warrant of arrest issued for the state’s former commissioner for finance, Demola Banu.
Appeal for the arrest warrant was granted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on the allegation that the second defendant (Banu) refused appearance.
The anti-graft agency accused the former commissioner of money laundering and misappropriating public funds to the tune of N1.22 billion.
The EFCC alleged that among sundry issues, Banu conspired to divert the said sum during the administration of former Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed, between May 2011 and May 2019 when he served as the Commissioner for Finance.
Banu was to be arraigned alongside his principal, former governor Abdulfatah on February 23, 2024, but when the case came up, he was absent in court and had no legal representation. This prompted the court to issue a bench warrant against him upon the application by counsel for the EFCC, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN).
Justice Evelyn Nmasinulo at the resumed hearing between the anti-graft agency and the state’s former governor Abdulfatah Ahmed (first defendant) and his commissioner, granted the request sought by the lead counsel to Banu, Gboyega Oyewole Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN,) on the ground that the defendant was present at the yesterday hearing.
According to the proceedings, the defendants were changed with eleven same counts bothering on financial impropriety while in office. All charges they pleaded not guilty.
The second defendant counsel however sought bail for his client which was later granted at N5m and two sureties in the same conditions.
He however pleaded for an adjournment to enable him file some documents that would aid the proper defence of his client.
Addressing newsmen, the lead legal counsel to Banu, Barrister Oyewole said: “we vacated the bench warrant issued for the arrest of our client because it was wrongly issued and we secured adjournment to the 25 and 26 with N5M bail grant and two sureties in like sum.” (Vanguard)