Eko Hot Blog reports that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has released a former Minister of Power and Steel, Olu Agunloye, on bail.
The former minister was arrested on December 13 and detained over alleged official corruption and forgery to the tune of N6bn in connection with the Mambilla Power Project.
Editor’s Pick
-
Governor Fubara Announces N100,000 Christmas Bonus For Rivers Workers
-
Ibadan-Based Investment Fraudster Handed 75-Year Prison Sentence
-
‘We Lost Our Mother For Nothing’ – Son Of Ex-NAFDAC Boss, Dora Akunyili Laments
But according to The Punch, the former Minister of State for Defence was released by the anti-graft agency around 3.30 p.m. on Wednesday to his lawyer, Adeola Adedipe (SAN).
EFCC sources disclosed that Agunloye would be arraigned in court in January 2024 on charges of official corruption and forgery to the tune of N6bn.
In a chat with the newspaper, the spokesperson for the EFCC, Dele Oyewale, confirmed the ex-munister’s release on Wednesday.
He said: “Yes, you’re right, Mr. Agunloye has been released by the commission.”
It would be recalled that the Agunloye was declared wanted in connection with an alleged N6bn fraud involving the contentious Mambilla hydropower project.
He was, however, rearrested by the operatives of the agency on December 13, 2023, after getting an arrest warrant following allegations that Agunloye jumped bail.
Further Reading
-
BREAKING: Gov Fubara Acts On Tinubu Directives, Withdraws Case Against Lawmakers
-
JUST IN: Nigerian Governor Declares 14-day Christmas Holiday
-
JUST IN: Lagos Govt Orders Immediate Evacuation Of Parked Trucks, Tankers On Apapa-Oshodi Expressway
Agunloye was a minister under former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s government (1999-2003) and has since been at the centre of the controversy about the Mambilla project
Agunloye, who was accused by Obasanjo of illegally awarding the project’s contract without the Federal Executive Council’s consent, has since denied the allegation.
Click To Watch Our Video Of The Week
Advertise or Publish a Story on EkoHot Blog:
Kindly contact us at [email protected]. Breaking stories should be sent to the above email and substantiated with pictorial evidence.
Citizen journalists will receive a token as data incentive.
Call or Whatsapp: 0803 561 7233, 0703 414 5611
