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Court grants EFCC remand application on Fani-Kayode

By Yetunde Ayobami Ojo
23 May 2016   |   3:40 pm
A Magistrate Court sitting in Ikeja has granted a remand application brought by the EFCC seeking to remand Femi Fani-Kayode on alleged N1.5 billion fraud.
Fani-Kayode

Fani-Kayode

A Magistrate Court sitting in Ikeja has granted a remand application brought by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) seeking to remand Femi Fani-Kayode on alleged N1.5 billion fraud.

Fani Kayode, the former spokesman for the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation in the 2015 general election was brought before Chief Magistrate Bola Osunsanmi at about 10:55 am yesterday appeared in white Kaftan with slippers.

When the matter was called at about 12:30, the anti-graft counsel, Mr. A. N. Anana told the court of the application for an order of remand dated May 10,2016 brought pursuant to Section 261 of Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL) 2011 of Lagos State pending when he will be properly arraigned at the appropriate court.

“We have an application before the court, an order of remand dated May 10 brought pursuant to Section 261 of ACJL, attached with it is a nine paragraph affidavit of urgency deposed to by one Tosin Ngbodagha.”
Anana, therefore, urged the court to grant the application.

However in opposition to the EFCC’s remand application, Fani Kayode’s counsel, Mr. Wale Balogun argued that the anti-graft application was to breach his constitutional rights. He said that the defendant had being granted an administrative bail by the EFCC on May 12 but not released.

He also informed the court the anti-graft agency had gotten the same order of remand for 14 days before an Abuja Chief Magistrate court after it expired they brought him (Fani Kayode) to Lagos on the same issue.

He argued that “on the issue of remand, we are asking the court that defendant cannot be remanded in the lieu of the fact that the matter is pending before High court on the same subject, under the Criminal Justice Act of Lagos. It is a breach of the constitution. They granted him bail but refuse to release him.”

He, therefore, urged the court to disregard the EFCC’s remand application against his client.

However, after listening to their submission, Magistrate Osunsanmi stand down the matter for ruling.

At about 2:07pm when the court began ruling which did not last more than three minutes, dismissed Kayode’s application.

She held that he failed to exhibit any document before the court to show that the former Minister of Aviation has been charged before any court for the alleged offence.

She therefore ordered that Fani-Kayode be remanded in the EFCC’s custody for three weeks pending when he will be arraigned at the appropriate court.

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8 Comments

  • Author’s gravatar
    • Author’s gravatar

      What’s Gbam??? Are you celebrating tyranny?

    • Author’s gravatar

      It is so tragic, this newly adopted system or fashion of locking-up individual Nigerians accused of “corruption”, most especially as practiced exclusively by the EFCC; by simply depriving them of their human rights and freedom – since the inception of the regime of Alhaji or ex-Gen. Muhammed Buhari and his APC-led ruling party!!! I thought there is a saying in law that, “every accused persons or individual is assumed innocent, until proven gulty in a duely constituted court of law and order”, or by any legally constituted investigative governmental body, like the EFCC and or the ICPC. But is Nigeria now actively practicing tyranny-in-democracy? One recalls that during the previous regime of Goodluck Jonathan, the same APC party of the current regime cried-out severally of foul-plays whenever DSS-personels were stationed in front of the residences of any of their political big-wigs!!! During the regime of Mr. Goodluck Jonathan, the EFCC was ostensibly a “sleeping lion”! These days, whilst conducting or questioning any Nigerian during their “anti-corruption” investigations in any part of that West African country; that should neither be a licence nor excuse to incarcerate any of those individuals – without following due process or quite often than not, in the case of the EFCC and the DSS respectively, so often displaying flagrant disobedience of court orders!!! These exercise-in-tyranny against only opponents of Alhaji or ex-Gen. Muhammed Buhari and his APC-led ruling party are obviously being observed by the international community, even though silently!!! They should know better!!! Fast forward into the future, may I ask, what happens, if after 4 years or 8 years or lets assume even 16 years from now, the current ruling party, the APC, loses the presidential election then? Supposing then, the new president of the PDP, for example, adopts this current brutal system or fashion of locking-up individual Nigerians accused of “corruption”, would the APC be satisfied with the adoption of it’s cruel methods thereafter?

  • Author’s gravatar

    It seems these people know already they gave no case to prosecute their foes. Hence, before any frivolous case filed they must have a taste of restriction and detention. It is the change we- gullible Apes, want.

    • Author’s gravatar

      My brother, your guess is as damn good as mine! Time will tell those who are still blind or those, who, despite the obvious truth, have chosen to be blind!! Perhaps when their brothers or sisters or dear ones fall victim of the new EFCC’s policy of “arrest-and-detain-indefinitely-before-investigation.”