$43.4m Ikoyigate cash: Ex-NIA boss, wife’s trial begins Friday

…EFCC: Flat bought for N596.8m

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC ) will on
Friday arraign a former Director-General of the National
Intelligence Agency(NIA), Amb. Ayodele Oke and his wife, Mrs.
Folasade Oke before a Federal High Court in Lagos in connection
with $43, 449, 947, 000 intercepted in a flat.

The cash was allegedly said to have been concealed in Flat 7B,
No. 16 Osborne Road, Osborne Towers in Ikoyi Lagos.

A judge of the Federal High Court in Lagos, Justice Muslim
Hassan, had on June 6, 2017 granted a final forfeiture order of the
funds since no one appeared before the court to claim them.

Although Oke had denied the allegation of concealment, the EFCC
is proceeding ahead with his trial alongside his wife.

The four-count charge against the couple was signed by
prosecuting lawyers including Rotimi Oyedepo Iseoluwa; Nnaemeka
Omewa and Idris Abubakar Mohammed.

For the first time, the EFCC in the Proof of Evidence revealed
how Flat 7B was bought for $1, 658,000 (N596, 880,000)

It said one Alh. Shehu Usman Anka will give evidence of the
receipt of the sum of $1, 658,000 from the wife of the ex-NIA
boss.

The anti-graft agency also said the agency got about $289, 202,
382.00 from the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN).

It said one Benjamin Kiksenenso “ will give evidence of how he
was instructed to go to the CBN to collect the $289, 202,
382.00.

The charges against the ex-NIA boss and his wife read:

“That you, Amb. Ayodele Oke, Mrs. Folasade Ayodele Oke on or
about the 12th day of April 2017 in Lagos concealed the sum of $43,
449, 947, 000 property of the Federal Government of Nigeria in Flat
7B, No. 16 Osborne Road, Osborne Towers, Ikoyi Lagos which sum you
reasonably ought to have known formed part of proceeds of an
unlawful act to wit: criminal breach of trust and you thereby
committed an offence contrary to Section 15 (2) (a) of the Money
Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act 2012 and punishable under
Section 15(3) of the same Act.

“That you Amb. Ayodele Oke and Mrs. Folasade Ayodele Oke between
25th day of August 2015 and 2nd day of September 2015 in Lagos,
within the jurisdiction of this court indirectly used the sum of
$1, 658, 000 property of the Federal Government of Nigeria to
acquire Flat 7B, No. 16 Osborne Road, Osborne Towers, Ikoyi Lagos
which sum you reasonably ought to have known formed part of
proceeds of an unlawful act to wit: criminal breach of trust and
you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15 (2) (d) of
the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act 2012 and
punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.

“That you Amb. Ayodele Oke and Mrs. Folasade Ayodele Oke between
25th day of August 2015 and 2nd day of September 2015 in Lagos,
within the jurisdiction of this court directly retained $160, 777,
136. 85 property of the Federal Government of Nigeria which sum you
reasonably ought to have known formed part of proceeds of an
unlawful act to wit: criminal breach of trust and you thereby
committed an offence contrary to Section 15 (2) (d) of the Money
Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act 2012 and punishable under
Section 15(3) of the same Act.

“That you Amb. Ayodele Oke and Mrs. Folasade Ayodele Oke between
25th day of August 2015 and 2nd day of September 2015 in Lagos,
within the jurisdiction of this court directly converted $160, 777,
136. 85 property of the Federal Government of Nigeria to your own
use which sum you reasonably ought to have known formed part of
proceeds of an unlawful act to wit: criminal breach of trust and
you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15 (2) (d) of
the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act 2012 and
punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.”

Video: NAF Jets Pound Terrorists inside
Sambisa

The Video: https://youtu.be/gP_bpAqkpjg^[1]

The Air Task Force (ATF) of Operation LAFIYA DOLE has destroyed
a Boko Haram Terrorists’ (BHTs) logistics base in Sambisa Forest,
Borno State.

The operation was executed on 28 January 2019, after series of
Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions
revealed a resurgence of human and vehicular activities at the
logistics base, which had hitherto been abandoned.

Accordingly, the ATF scrambled 2 Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Alpha
Jet aircraft to attack the location.

Overhead the target area, several structures and vehicles were
seen camouflaged under the thick vegetation of the Forest, with
significant human activity observed within the area.

The attack aircraft recorded direct hits on the target area
resulting in the destruction of several structures and
neutralisation of some BHTs. Some of the terrorists who survived
the bomb strikes were seen fleeing the area. They were mopped-up in
follow-on attacks.

IBIKUNLE DARAMOLA
Air Commodore
Director of Public Relations and Information
Nigerian Air Force