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Contractor remanded in Kuje Prison over N2.4b contract scam

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Friday arraigned one Olugbenga Obadina alongside his company, Almond Projects Limited, before Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court sitting in Maitama, Abuja on an eight-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust, corruption and money laundering to the tune of N2.4 billion.

Obadina allegedly collected a sum of N2, 417, 000,000, paid into his company’s account in tranches, between 2013 and 2015 from the account of the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, under Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd) without contract award.

The offence is contrary to Section 15(2), (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2011 as amended in 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.

One of the counts reads:

“That you, Olugbenga Obadina and Almond Projects Limited on the 3rd of April, 2014 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court directly took possession or control of the sum of N648, 000, 000.00 (Six Hundred and Forty Eight Million Naira) only paid into the account of Almond Projects Ltd with Zenith Bank Plc Account No: 1010921116 from the account of the office of the National Security Adviser with the Central Bank of Nigeria without contract award when you reasonably ought to have known that the said fund formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity of Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (rtd) the then National Security Adviser (To wit: criminal breach of trust and corruption) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2), (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended in 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.”

Another count reads:

“That you, Olugbenga Obadina and Almond Projects Ltd on the 6th of February, 2015 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court directly took possession or control of the sum of N510, 000, 000.00 (Five Hundred and Ten Million Naira) only paid into the account of Almond Projects Ltd with Zenith Bank Plc Account No: 1010921116 from the account of the Office of the National Security Adviser with the Central Bank of Nigeria without contract award when you reasonably ought to have known that the said fund formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity of Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki (rtd) the then National Security Adviser (To wit: criminal breach of trust and corruption) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2), (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended in 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.”

The accused person pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to him.

Upon his plea, counsel to EFCC, Aso Larry Peters asked for a date for trial and urged the court to remand the accused in prison custody.

However, Chris Uche, SAN, representing the accused prayed the court to grant the defendant bail as he had a pending application to that effect which had been served on the prosecution.

Responding, Peters said that the prosecution was served on July 13 and he had the right of 48 hours to respond. He also noted that a further affidavit deposed to by the defence which was referred to in their oral submission to the court was not served on prosecution.

The prosecuting counsel also told the court that the defendant had refused to cooperate with the Commission in the course of investigation adding that his profile had not been taken.

“My Lord, he (Obadina) refused giving his fingerprint and biodata; he is a flight risk. He claimed he was advised by his lawyer”, Peters added.

Justice Dimgba, thereafter adjourned to July 18, 2016 for ruling on the bail application and ordered the accused person to be remanded in Kuje prison.

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