IGP withdraws charge against former Bank MD, Akingbola, 5 Others

Respite, on Friday, came the way of a former Managing Director of Mainstreet Bank Registrars, Mr. Oluwadare Akingbola, and five others as the Inspector General of Police withdrew a seven count criminal charge filed against them before a Federal High Court, Lagos.

Listed in the criminal charge alongside Akingbola are: Suleiman Adedokun; Adegbami Adegoke Elijah; Patrick Okoh; Dauda Taiwo Oluwasshola and Olufemi Charles Olanihun.

In the charge marked FHC/L/189c/2017, Police alleged that all the accused persons and other still at large had sometimes in the month of January 2017, at the Registrars’ office located at 2a, Gbagada Expreeway, Anthony Village, conspired among themselves to laundered the sum of N760 million, which was obtained through unlawful activity.

Akingbola and other names in the charge were also alleged to have between February and December 2016, steal the sum of N280 million, belonging to Mainstreet Bank Registrars Limited.

The third person names in the charge, Adegoke Adegbami Elijah, was alleged to have received the said money which the police said be knew to have been stolen.

The offences, Police prosecutor, Mr. Henry Obiazi, said contrary to and punishable under sections 8(a), 7(b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other related Offences 2006, and sections 516, 390, 390(9) and 427 of the Criminal Code Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

However, at the resumed hearing of the matter on Friday, which was fixed for the arraignment of the suspect’s, the prosecutor, Henry Obiazi, informed Justice Hadizat Rabiu-Shagari, that the Inspector-General of Police had instructed the prosecution to return the case file.

Obiazi told the court that the IGP’s decision was sequel to a letter received from the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), whom he said wanted to reassign the matter for reinvestigation.

Obiazi also told the court that the decision of the IGP was brought pursuant to section 108(1) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015.

He therefore urged the court to withdraw the charge against the suspects, pending when IGP will Order for the suspects’ prosecution.

In the same vain, lawyer to Akingbola and others, Mr. E. Udeh, told the court that prior to the withdrawal of the charge against his clients, he had written a letter to court to strike out the charge for being defective, since the prosecution failed to attach proof-of-evidence with charge.

Udeh cited several pretoral authority to support his call for striking out the charge against his clients.

Satisfied with the submissions of the prosecution and defence teams, Justice Hadizat Rabiu-Shagari, struck out the charge against all the suspects.