Former Governor of Oyo State, Senator Rashidi Ladoja In Trouble Over Allegedly N4.7bn Scam

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Former Governor of Oyo State, Senator Rashidi Ladoja In Trouble Over Allegedly N4.7bn Scam

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Friday asked Justice Mohammed Idris of a Federal High Court in Lagos to issue a warrant for the arrest of a former Governor of Oyo State, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, along with his former aide, Chief Waheed Akanbi. The two are accused of allegedly laundering N4.7bn.

Mr. Oluwafemi Olabisi, counsel for the EFCC made the application on Friday following the absence of Ladoja in court for his proposed re-arraignment. Olabisi told the court that accused were invited to the EFCC, but that the duo did not honour the agency’s invitation and also deliberately stayed away from court.

He, therefore, urged the court to issue bench warrants against the accused, arguing that without their attendance in court, their trial could not proceed.
However, Olabisi's submission was countered by Ladoja’s lawyer, Mr. Bolaji Onilenla, who said he was the one who instructed Ladoja to stay away from court on Friday, urged Justice Idris not to issue a warrant for the arrest of his client.

According to Punch, Onilenla argued that besides the fact that his client had not been properly informed of the re-opening of the case, his appeal against the charges at the Supreme Court was still pending.

Ladoja, who was first arraigned in 2008 alongside Akanbi, had since proceeded on appeal up to the Supreme Court to challenge the charges against him. He also obtained an order to stay further proceedings in the case pending the outcome of the appeal.

But the Supreme Court on April 15, 2015 dismissed Ladoja’s appeal for being incompetent pursuant to the provisions of Order 6 Rule 3(2) of the Supreme Court Rules 1999.

However, Ladoja, who contended that he was not heard at all before the appeal was dismissed by the Supreme Court, had on October 27, 2016 filed an application seeking to re-list the appeal at the apex court.

If the order is issued, the EFCC will be forced to go after the politician and might detain him for days as has been the case in recent times