Dudafa, ex-President Jonathan’s aide, gets N500 million bail

Justice Mohammed Idris of the Federal High Court, Lagos, yesterday granted bail to former Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Domestic Affairs, Warpamo Owei Emmanuel Dudafa, in the sum of N500 million with three sureties in like sum.

The court also granted bail to his co-accused, Iwejo Joseph Nna, who is also known as Taiwo Ebenezer and Olugbenga Isaiah in the sum of N250 million with two sureties in the like sum.

Justice Idris also ordered that the sureties who will stand for the two accused persons must have landed property within the jurisdiction of the court, while the accused persons must deposit their international travel passports with the court’s Deputy Chief Registrar (DCR).

The judge however ordered that the accused persons be remanded in prisons custody pending the perfection of their bail conditions and adjourned trial to July 4 and 5.

They were arraigned before Justice Idris on a 23 counts charge bordering on alleged N5.1 billion fraud by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The accused persons pleaded not guilty to all the counts charge, and upon their pleas, the prosecutor, Rotimi Oyedepo, urged the court to remand them in prison custody and adjourn to decide on bail application.

Counsel to the accused persons, Gboyega Oyewole and Sunday Abumere, had vehemently urged the court to admit their clients on bail in liberal term, a prayer Oyedepo opposed passionately.

In the charge sheet endorsed by Oyedepo, the EFCC alleged that Dudafa and Joseph Nna, who also claimed to be Taiwo Ebenezer and Olugbenga Isaiah, had between June 11, 2013 and June 2015 used different companies to fraudulently steal and commit the alleged offences.

Some of the companies allegedly used in committing the alleged offences include Seagate Property Development & Investment Limited, Avalon Global Property Development Company Limited, Iwejuo Joseph Nna and Pluto LUTO Property.

Others are Investment Company Limited, Iwejuo Joseph Nna and Rotate Interlink Services Limited, Ibejige Services Limited, DE Jakes Fast Food & Restaurant Nigeria Limited and Ebiwise Resources.

The count-one of the charge read in parts: “That you, Warpamo Owei Emmanuel Dudafa, and Iwejuo Joseph Nna (a.k.a. Taiwo Ebenezer and Olugbenga Isaiah), on or about the 11th day of June, 2013 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this court conspired among yourselves to commit an offence, to wit: concealing the proceeds of crime in the sum of N1.6 billion and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act, 2012 and punishable under Section 17(a) of the same Act.”

The alleged offences are said to be contrary to and punishable under sections 17(a), 18(c), and 27 (3) (c) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act 2004.