"Ex-Minister, Jumoke Akinjide & Senator Adeseun Carted Away N650M In A Van"-Witness Reveals In Court

“I have instruction to reject the proposal as it’s not in line with the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, (ACJA) 2015. Based on that, we’re ready to go on with the trial, subject to your Lordship’s overriding convenience,” he said.
But defence counsel, Chief Ayorinde and Michael Lana (for the second defendant) accused EFCC’s lead counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, of a breach of agreement.
Ayorinde said the defendants made a proposal to the prosecution in line with Section 14 of the EFCC Act.
“For the purposes of your Lordship’s record and because of the public interest that this case seems to be unnecessarily attracting, our proposal was made in accordance with established laws and there is no fixation on Section 270 of the ACJA
“We’re very confident that this case is a sham and we’ll defend it vigorously. It’s political and we’ll show that it’s unnecessary and a waste of time and resources of the court,” Ayorinde said.
Lana also accused EFCC breaching an agreement reached by parties with regards to the settlement, saying it amounted to a “betrayal”.
He said the defendants agreed to withdraw a civil suit against EFCC and Oyedepo after the prosecuting counsel indicated that the commission was open to an out of court settlement.
“Their refusal to consider the terms of settlement is to say the least a betrayal of trust by a lawyer. A representation as made to us that we should withdraw a civil suit we filed. Oyedepo is the first defendant in the suit
“He made a proposal to us which we believed. On the day of the first arraignment in Ibadan, Oyedepo and Chief Ayorinde informed the court that they had agreed to settle. But the judge decided that the defendants should be arraigned while the talks continued.
“We withdrew the suit and the money they requested was paid. That’s why we were surprised when we received a hearing notice. A lawyer’s words should be sacrosanct. That’s an abuse of office. Oyedepo was the initiator of the settlement. That’s like 419. We’re highly disappointed with Oyedepo,”  Lana said.
But, Omenwa denied that the case was politically motivated, adding that the allegations against Oyedepo were false.
“The EFCC is not a political party. We’re an independent organisation and is not out to witch-hunt anybody.
“There is no documentary evidence that they had any such agreement with Oyedepo that they should withdraw their suit. There’s no evidence before my Lord,” he said.
In short ruling, Justice Hassan said since settlement talks have “broken down,” EFCC was at liberty to call its first witness.
Trial began immediately with Omenwa calling the first witness, a banker Kehinde Adeniyi, who said she is the Head of Customer Relations at her bank’s Dugbe, Ibadan branch. She said she knows Akinjide and Adeseun.
Asked to narrate her connection with them, she said: “On March 26, 2014, I received a call from our Head of Operations Mr Martins Izuegbe that we should pay the sum of N650million to Akinjide, Adeseun and Hon Taiwo Yinka once they produce two means of identification and sign a receipt of payment
“The came, signed and the payment was made. The payment was in naira. They came with their Hillux van to pick up the cash.”
The receipt of payment was tendered in evidence.
The witness said under cross examination by Chief Ayorinde that she made three statements at the EFCC, which were also tendered in evidence.
Adeniyi said she merely carried out the instructions she was given, and that she did not know the source of the funds.
She added that she knew  Mrs Alison-Madueke, and that she did not know how the money was used.
Justice Hassan adjourned the trial to March 8 and 9 for continuation of trial.
Mrs. Akinjide, Senator Adeseun and a People’s democratic Party (PDP) stalwart, Mrs. Chief Olanrewaju Otiti, are being tried for allegedly receiving N650 million from former minister of petroleum, Mrs. Allison Madueke, to influence the outcome of 2015 general election in favor of the ex-president Goodluck Jonathan.
They were arraigned on a 24 count charge of unlawful enrichment and gratification
The anti-graft agency claimed that they ought to have “reasonably known that the money formed part of proceeds of an unlawful act.”
EFCC said the two defendants acted contrary to Section 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2012, and were liable to punishment under Section 15(3) and 4 of the same Act.
Mrs. Akinjide allegedly gave a cash sum of N107.4m to Otti and N134.4m to Adeseun out of the N650m on March 26, 2015.
The commission also claimed she gave N26.5m cash to one Ayoka Lawani; N56.4m to one Alhaji Kunmi Mustapha; N28.6m to one Honourable Muraina Ajibola; N16m to one Honourable Yinka Taiwo and N10.7m to one Prince Ayuba.
EFCC said the trio acted contrary to Section 18(a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2012, were liable to punishment under Section 15(3) and 4 of the same Act.
A prosecution witness of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday narrated at a Federal High Court in Ikoyi Lagos how a former Minister, Mrs. Jumoke Akinjide and former Oyo state Senator, Mr. Ayo Adeseun, carted away N650 million cash in a Hilux truck and a bus.
Mrs. Kehinde Adeniyi, a staff of Fidelity bank plc., while giving evidence in the ongoing N650 million money laundry suit against Akinjide and Adeseun, said the former senator and Minister carted the raw cash from a branch of her bank in Bodija, Ibadan, with the aide of their security aides who assisted in loading the money into vehicles.
Justice Muslim Hasssan, the residing judge had adjourned the matter till at the last hearing to enable parties conclude the settlement talks after Akinjide’s lawyer, Chief Bolaji Ayorinde (SAN) reported that the defendants had already returned N650 million to EFCC.
But at the resumption of proceedings on Thursday, EFCC’s lawyer Nnaemeka Omenwa, said he has been instructed to turn down the proposal.
“I have instruction to reject the proposal as it’s not in line with the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, (ACJA) 2015. Based on that, we’re ready to go on with the trial, subject to your Lordship’s overriding convenience,” he said.
But defence counsel, Chief Ayorinde and Michael Lana (for the second defendant) accused EFCC’s lead counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, of a breach of agreement.
Ayorinde said the defendants made a proposal to the prosecution in line with Section 14 of the EFCC Act.
“For the purposes of your Lordship’s record and because of the public interest that this case seems to be unnecessarily attracting, our proposal was made in accordance with established laws and there is no fixation on Section 270 of the ACJA
“We’re very confident that this case is a sham and we’ll defend it vigorously. It’s political and we’ll show that it’s unnecessary and a waste of time and resources of the court,” Ayorinde said.
Lana also accused EFCC breaching an agreement reached by parties with regards to the settlement, saying it amounted to a “betrayal”.
He said the defendants agreed to withdraw a civil suit against EFCC and Oyedepo after the prosecuting counsel indicated that the commission was open to an out of court settlement.
“Their refusal to consider the terms of settlement is to say the least a betrayal of trust by a lawyer. A representation as made to us that we should withdraw a civil suit we filed. Oyedepo is the first defendant in the suit
“He made a proposal to us which we believed. On the day of the first arraignment in Ibadan, Oyedepo and Chief Ayorinde informed the court that they had agreed to settle. But the judge decided that the defendants should be arraigned while the talks continued.
“We withdrew the suit and the money they requested was paid. That’s why we were surprised when we received a hearing notice. A lawyer’s words should be sacrosanct. That’s an abuse of office. Oyedepo was the initiator of the settlement. That’s like 419. We’re highly disappointed with Oyedepo,”  Lana said.
But, Omenwa denied that the case was politically motivated, adding that the allegations against Oyedepo were false.
“The EFCC is not a political party. We’re an independent organisation and is not out to witch-hunt anybody.
“There is no documentary evidence that they had any such agreement with Oyedepo that they should withdraw their suit. There’s no evidence before my Lord,” he said.
In short ruling, Justice Hassan said since settlement talks have “broken down,” EFCC was at liberty to call its first witness.
Trial began immediately with Omenwa calling the first witness, a banker Kehinde Adeniyi, who said she is the Head of Customer Relations at her bank’s Dugbe, Ibadan branch. She said she knows Akinjide and Adeseun.
Asked to narrate her connection with them, she said: “On March 26, 2014, I received a call from our Head of Operations Mr Martins Izuegbe that we should pay the sum of N650million to Akinjide, Adeseun and Hon Taiwo Yinka once they produce two means of identification and sign a receipt of payment.
“The came, signed and the payment was made. The payment was in naira. They came with their Hillux van to pick up the cash.”