Court Orders Detention Of Iyabo Obasanjo
May 19, 2008
2 hours ago
Embattled Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, who emerged from hiding this morning, is to spend the next two days in a cell at the Maitama Police Station, Abuja.
An FCT judge, Justice Salisu Garuba, who gave this order, said rather than being kept in the EFCC custody, Iyabo should be kept in a police cell, pending a written application for bail by her counsel. Iyabo, who had engaged officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in a hide and seek game in the past one month surprisingly appeared in court this morning with her body guards. She was immediately put in the dock where she pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge of obtaining N10 million, illegal proceeds from the N300 million unspent budget of the Federal Ministry of Health, which the Federal Government had directed should be paid back to the Federation Account.
Her entry into the court room was dramatic as she was surrounded by armed mobile policemen who shielded her from EFCC agents. Attempt by the EFCC officials to take her into custody was frustrated by her lawyer Bankole Akomolafe who pleaded with the court that instead of keeping her in EFCC custody, pending a written application for her bail, she should be kept in a police cell at the Maitama Police Station Abuja.
Her counsel fought vigorously to prevent the EFCC officials from taking her away, explaining that she would be maltreated by the officials. He told the court that EFCC officials had earlier threatened to deal with her for the troubles she subjected them to in the past one month. Akomolafe cited an instance when EFCC officials stormed Iyabo’s house in Abuja and assaulted her personal aides, saying overzealous officials of commission have vowed to humiliate her if she was kept in their custody.
Akomolafe’s submission came on the heels of submission by the EFCC counsel, Mr. James Binang that the court should reject the oral application for bail for the embattled senator, adding that she should be kept in the EFCC custody pending the hearing of a written application for her bail. He argued that this was the same process other accused persons in the N300 million scam went through and that Iyabo’s case should not be different. The court headed the pleas of Iyabo’s counsel by ordering that she should be kept in a cell at the Maitama police station until Wednesday when her written application for bail would be decided.
The court fixed 21 May for consideration of the written bail application. Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello in the past four weeks has been evading arrest by officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). EFCC had charged her along with former Minister of Health, Prof. (Mrs.) Adenike Grange and others for misappropriating N300 million unspent budget of the Federal Ministry of Health which the Federal Government directed should be returned to the Federation Account. Iyabo was alleged to have scaled the fence of her Abuja home to escape arrest when EFCC operatives went after her. It was further alleged that she injured her right leg in the process. Ever since then, her whereabouts became a subject of controversy.
While some of her colleagues in the Senate, including the Senate President, David Mark, were alleged to have harboured her in their homes, others said they have been sighting the daughter of the immediate past president in her father’s Ota Farms in Ogun State. She was quoted to have attributed her refusal to appear in court to a threat to her life. Before today’s appearance, her father’s lawyer, Chief Afe Babalola, had promised that they would produce Iyabo at today’s hearing.
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Iyabo Obasanjo Bello In Custody
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