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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned the Osun West Senatorial District Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Yinusa Amobi, and other top officials of the Osun State College of Education (OSSCE), Ila-Orangun, before Justice M. A. Onyetenu of the Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo. They were arraigned on an eight-count charge bordering on stealing, forgery and criminal conspiracy of breach of public trust – specifically in connection with the alleged illegal diversion of over N300 million public funds approved for the construction of Amphitheatre (Lecture Theatre) and other projects in the institution.
Those that were arraigned along with Amobi, a member of the College Governing Council, are a former Bursar of the college (now Bursar College of Education, Ilesa), Mr. Akin Latilo; College former Acting Provost, Dr. Basiru Gbadamosi; two members of the Governing Council, Messrs David Olayinka Olojede and Kujeunbola Oluwafemi, as well as the College’s Director of Works, Mr. Ogungbemi.
The alleged offence is contrary to Section 1(1)(a) &8(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act and section 98,99 and 516 of the Criminal Code Act Cap, Laws of the Federation.
However, one of the accused persons, Mr. Oyeniyi Akande, the Part-time Chairman of the Governing Council of the College, was not in court and is reportedly at large.
The accused persons were not represented by any counsel in court and pleaded not guilty to all the charges preferred against them.
The Presiding Judge, Justice Onyetenu, while fixing 31st of May, 2017 for considering the bail application for the accused persons, ordered that they be remanded in Ilesa Maximum Prison.
The arraignment was as a result of a petitioned dated Monday, 21st March, 2016 written by the Osun State-based Civil Society Organization (CSO), the Civil Societies Coalition for the Emancipation of Osun State (CSCEOS), which was forwarded to the Acting Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magun.
The group, led by Comrade Adeniyi, Alimi Sulaiman, had earlier appeared before the anti-graft agency to endorse its petition.
