The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday adjourned the bail application filed by three detained promoters of Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX) in the alleged over one billion dollars fraud case until June 30 for ruling. Justice Emeka Nwite fixed the date after counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Fadila Yusuf, and defence lawyers adopted their processes and presented arguments for and against the application.
Justice Nwite had on April 24 granted the EFCC permission to arrest and detain six CBEX operators pending the completion of investigations and possible prosecution. The suspects include Adefowora Abiodun Olanipekun, Adefowora Oluwanisola, Emmanuel Uko, Seyi Oloyede, Avwerosuo Otorudo, and Chukwuebuka Ehirim.According to the EFCC, the defendants were at large at the time the ex-parte motion was filed on April 23. The EFCC stated it required arrest warrants to ensure proper investigation and prosecution. Adefowora Abiodun, Avwerosuo Otorudo, and Chukwuebuka Ehirim are currently in EFCC custody.
At the resumed hearing, Babatunde Busari, counsel for Abiodun, and Justice Otorudo, counsel for Otorudo and Ehirim, informed the court that they had filed their clients’ bail applications. Busari said they were ready to proceed despite receiving the EFCC’s counter-affidavit that morning. Busari argued that Abiodun had voluntarily surrendered to the EFCC on April 28 after initially contacting the commission on April 22, and had since been held for over 40 days without bail or charge. He said this breached the constitutional and statutory timelines, which allow only 14 days for remand and a further 14-day extension under the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015.
He sought Abiodun’s release on liberal terms, citing ill health and the presumption of innocence under Nigerian law. He argued that the EFCC’s claim that Abiodun might jump bail was unfounded, as he had voluntarily turned himself in. Similarly, Otorudo urged the court to vary its earlier order, which allowed the EFCC to detain the 5th and 6th defendants. He stated that his clients had also voluntarily presented themselves on April 25 and had remained in custody since.
He submitted that the offences they were accused of were bailable and that the defendants were ready to appear for trial if granted bail.In response, EFCC counsel Yusuf opposed the applications, submitting that the prayer for bail had been overtaken by events since a charge had already been filed. She maintained that the alleged fraud exceeded one billion dollars, surpassing the annual budgets of some Nigerian states, and urged the court to deny bail. Justice Nwite adjourned the matter to June 30 for ruling.
Source : https://guardian.ng/
