More suspects to be arraigned today

Five days after they were granted bail

by an Ikeja High court, sons of the incumbent

and former chairmen of the Peoples Democratic

Party, PDP, Mahmud Tukur and Ahmadu Ali and

three other oil marketers who were docked last

Thursday, are still in the custody of the

Economic and Financial Crimes Commission,

EFCC.

This came as more of the alleged oil subsidy

scam suspects will be arraigned today. The three

others arraigned alongside Mahmud and Ahmadu

were Abdulahi Alao, son of Alhaji Arisekola Alao,

an Ibadan based businessman; a Sierra-Leonean,

Christian Taylor and Ochonogor Alex. They were

accused of defrauding the Federal Government

of N304 billion in the oil subsidy scam.

After their arraignment last Thursday, Justice

Adeniyi Onigbanjo of Ikeja High Court granted

them bail in the sum of N20 million with two

sureties in like sum. One of the sureties must be

a level 16 officer in the Lagos State or Federal

Civil Service. The other one must own a property

worth N200 million.

It was gathered, however, that all their efforts to

meet the bail conditions last Friday, the last

working day, were futile.

As at Saturday evening, Vanguard was reliably

informed that the accused were yet to fulfill the

bail conditions, especially getting sureties on

level 16.

Another major hurdle before them was the

verification of the particulars of the sureties as

ordered by the court as well as getting the state

officials to verify the property they intend to use

as one of the conditions stipulated by the court.

In Lagos State, it was gathered that the state

officials will have to visit and value the property

and ensure that the property is properly

evaluated and that necessary land charges have

been paid before approval for the bail.

Some of the counsel to the oil marketers were

sighted at the premises of the High Court Ikeja

at about 5.30 pm on Friday, moving from one

office to the other, trying to perfect the bail

conditions.

One of the court officials, who spoke on

condition of anonymity said, “the way things are

going, I doubt if they will finish the process

before Wednesday.

As I am talking, they are yet to get a level 16

officer to stand in for three of them.

“You know the process is long and cumbersome.

They are yet to get or clear the issue of tax

clearance which is the most difficult aspect now

in Lagos State. Apart from getting the tax

clearance, the state officials will visit the

property being used as guarantee and value it

with their valuers and also ensure that proper

‘land use charges’ are paid on the property.”

My son is answerable for his actions —

Arisekola Alao

Meanwhile, an Ibadan-based businessman,

Alhaji Arisekola Alao has said his son Abdullahi

who is facing trial in Lagos over oil subsidy scam

is an adult and a businessman doing business

like every other Nigerian. In a statement,

yesterday, he said Abdulahi Alao “is answerable

for his actions and transactions under the law of

the land. As an adult and a true Muslim, there is

no doubt that he knows what is wrong and what

is right”