Court Orders Remand Of Reps Member Who Stood Surety For Bail Jumping Former Minister, Jumoke Akinjide

A Lagos Magistrate's Court sitting in Igbosere, on Saturday, ordered the remand of Mr. Aliyu Ahman Pategi, the Federal House of Representatives member representing Edu

/Moro/Patigi Federal Constituency of Kwara, in prison custody.            

Mr. Pategi stood surety and entered a bail bond of N650million for former Minister of State for Education, Ms. Jumoke Akinjide, who was detained on 9 August 2016 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged involvement in conspiracy and money laundering.

Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo, counsel to the EFCC, told the court that since being released from detention on bail on 10 August 2016, Ms. Akinjide has refused to report to EFCC, which repeatedly demanded her from Mr. Pategi.

Mr. Oyedepo asked the court for an order directing Mr. Pategi to show cause why the recognizance he entered into for Ms. Akinjide and the bail bond of N650million should not be forfeited.

Counsel to Mr. Pategi, Mr. Adenrele Adegborioye, informed the court that he had filed a motion for bail. Mr. Oyedepo, however, said he had just been served with the said motion for bail in the open court and would need time to adequately respond to it. As a result, Mr. Adegborioye made an oral application for bail, but the court said it preferred a formal bail application.

After listening to both parties, Magistrate Afolashade Botoku, rejected the oral application for Mr. Pategi's bail, which his counsel sought, citing his client's personality as a current Federal House of Representatives member.

Mr. Rotimi Oyedepo opposed the oral application, saying Mr. Pategi stood surety for Mrs. Akinjide  and entered a bail bond of N650million being the sum of money she collected from former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Deizani Alison-Madueke in March 2015.                   

The said sum was alleged to be gratification received by Mrs. Alison-Madueke from various oil marketers such as Northern Belt Oil and Gas company, Actus Integrated Investment Limited, Midwestern Oil and Gas company Limited and Adesanya Leno Olaitab. The money was said to have been kept in  Fidelity Bank.

In a 16-paragraph affidavit   deposed to by Mr. Danladi Daniel, the EFCC said: "An intelligence report was received sometimes in 2016 that Oloye Jumoke Akinjide and others benefitted from the total sum of N650million gratification received by Mrs. Alison-Madueke from various oil marketers such as Northern Belt Oil and Gas Company, Actus Integrated Investment Limited, Midwestern Oil and Gas Company Limited and Adesanya Leno Olaitan, which money was kept with Fidelity Bank."

According to saharareporters, Danladi stated further that upon discovery of her involvement in the alleged crime, Mrs. Akinjide was invited to the EFCC office in Lagos on 9 August 2016 and wrote a statement after which Mr. Pategi entered a bail bond of N650million to be forfeited should Ms. Akinjide jump administrative bail.

The EFCC counsel said a 24-count charge bordering on money laundering and conspiracy was brought against her before Justice Ayo Emmanuel of the Federal High Court,  Ibadan, in Suit No. FHC/IB/26C/2017. However, Ms. Akinjide refused to turn up in court after more than three proceedings despite the service of the charges on her, a situation that prompted the court to threaten to dismiss the charges if the prosecution fails to produce her at the next adjourned date.

Magistrate Botoku adjourned the case to 20 June for the hearing of the bail application.