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Absence of First Nation Airlines MD stalls arraignment

By Yetunde Ayobami Ojo
10 March 2018   |   4:20 am
Absence of the Managing Director of First Nation Airlines, Kayode Odukoya, yesterday, stalled the scheduled for his arraignment before a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja over alleged stealing N1.7billion.

Kayode Odukoya

Absence of the Managing Director of First Nation Airlines, Kayode Odukoya, yesterday, stalled the scheduled for his arraignment before a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja over alleged stealing N1.7billion.

This made it third time he was absent in Special Offences court for his arraignment on a four-count charge of forgery, use of false documents, perjury and stealing filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

When the matter was called, yesterday before Justice Mojisola Dada, there were no legal representatives of the First Nation Airlines boss and he was not present in court.

The anti-graft agency joined First Nation Airlines and Bellview Airlines in the criminal suit as second and third defendants respectively.

Addressing the court on the development, EFCC counsel, Mohammed Usman told the court the anti-graft agency will ensure Odukoya’s presence in court for his criminal trial.

He said, “We will be requesting for a short adjournment for this arraignment, the defendants gave us their word that they would be in court. It seems the EFCC has to take some necessary actions against them.

“We gave them an olive branch for them to avail themselves in court for this arraignment and they did not fulfill their side of the bargain. We initially did not want to keep them in our custody but at the moment, we have no choice but to now keep them in our custody for the purpose of the arraignment. “

The anti-graft commission alleged that defendant committed the offences of forgery, use of false document and perjury on March 21, 2013.

He was also alleged to have forged the Memorandum of Loss of Lagos State Certificate of Occupancy registered as No. 33 at page 33 volume 1011 at the Lagos State Land Registry, Alausa, Lagos in order that the document be acted upon as genuine.

The forged document was in respect of a property located at No. 29, Oduduwa Street, GRA, Ikeja Lagos.

The defendant was alleged to have used the false document, and gave false information on oath concerning the loss of the certificate of occupancy at the Lagos State Land Registry.

On October 7, 2016, Odukoya was allegedly stole and dishonestly converted to his own use, N1. 7billion belonging to Skye Bank Plc.

The offences contravene Sections 85, 86(1) 278(1)(b), 285, 361(1)(a) (b), 363 and 364(1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011.

The judge subsequently adjourned the matter till April 9, 2018 for arraignment.

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