A federal capital territory (FCT) court in Abuja’s Apo district has remanded two individuals in the Kuje correctional facility for allegedly impersonating Ola Olukoyede, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission‘s chairman.
On Wednesday, the EFCC arraigned the accused, Ojobo Joshua and Aliyu Hashi, before the presiding judge, Jude Onwuebuzie.
The defendants were detained in August together with two others, Thomas Oduh and Paul Ogiji, on Gimbiya Street in Garki and Apo Legislative Quarters in Abuja.
They allegedly phoned Mohammed Bello-Koko, a former managing director of the Nigeria Port Authority (NPA), stating that he had been indicted by the EFCC during an investigation into his tenure.
The suspects allegedly wanted $1 million from Bello-Kokp, promising him a “soft landing” by Olukoyede.
They also threatened him with arrest and prosecution if he did not cooperate with them.
The EFCC charged Joshua and Hashim with four counts of impersonation and attempted fraud.
When the charges were read to the defendants, they pleaded not guilty to each one.
Elizabeth Alabi, EFCC counsel, asked the court to remand the accused to the detention facility pending the trial.
She said:
“Having pleaded not guilty, my lord, we ask for a date to begin calling our witnesses and request the defendants be remanded in custody.”
Obinna Nwosu, counsel for the first defendant (Joshua), sought for his client’s release on liberal bail terms, while Peter Oriobe, counsel for the second defendant, made an oral request for bail.
However, the judge asked Oriobe to prepare a written bail application for his client.
Onwuebuzie granted bail to the first defendant in the amount of N100 million, with two sureties in equal amounts.
The judge stated that the sureties must be at least level 16 civil service officers, and that they must produce appointment and promotion letters, proper identification, and a written undertaking to accompany the defendant to each court hearing.
The first defendant must also present his international passport to the court.
The judge ruled that the first and second accused be sent to Kuje Correctional Centre until their bail terms were met.
The second defendant’s bail application will be heard on November 18.
