In a double move in Lagos and Abuja, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission charged Babachir David Lawal, former Secretary of the Government of the Federation, and Ambassador Ayo Oke, former Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, with various fraud charges.
Oke’s wife, Folashade, was also charged.
In Abuja, Lawal, was charged at the Federal High Court along with his companies, Rholavision Engineering Limited and and Josmon Technologies Limited, with 10 counts over contracts executed by the companies, including a N272 million contract for the removal of invasive plant species at an IDP camp in Maiduguri, Borno State.
Both Lawal and Oke were sacked in October 2017 by President Muhammadu Buhari following the report of investigations by a panel headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo into allegations of fraud levelled against them in 2017.
In Lagos, Ambassador Ayo Oke and his wife, Folashade, are facing fraud charges over the sums of $43,449,947, £27,800 and N23,218,000 recovered by the EFCC from Flat 7B, 16, Osborne Road, Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos.
The charge against Oke and his wife reads as thus:
*That you Ambassador Ayodele Oke, Mrs. Folashade Ayodele Oke, on or about the 12th day of April, 2017 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court indirectly conceal the sum of $43,449,947.00, 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 forms part of proceeds of 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 you Ambassador Ayodele Oke and Mrs. Folashade Ayodele Oke, between 25th day of August, 2015 and 2nd day of September, 2015 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court indirectly used the sum of $1, 658, 000.00 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 forms part of proceeds of 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 Ambassador Ayodele Oke, between 25th day of August, 2015 and 2nd day of September, 2015 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court directly converted the sum of $160, 777, 136. 85, property of the Federal Government of Nigeria to your own use which sum you reasonably ought to have known forms part of proceeds of 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”.
The Okes are expected to be arraigned before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke on February 1, 2019.
Babachir David Lawal and Rholavision Engineering Limited and Jasmin Technologies Limited will be arraigned next week.
