By Jude-Ken Ojinnaka
The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has adjourned till March 6, 2024, for the arraignment of three men namely, Benjamin Opara, Iliyasu Garba and Joseph Ude by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly producing and selling counterfeit dollars
According to the charge marked FHC/L/79c/2024, the three defendants were to be arraigned before Justice Kehinde Ogundare on Wednesday but the arraignment could not hold due to the absence of Opara’s, counsel in court.
When the case was called, EFCC’s counsel Temitope Banjo informed the court of the five-count charge preferred against the defendants.
He applied the court to read the charge to the defendants so that they could take their plea.
But Abdulmalik Ibrahim, counsel to the second defendant Garba, informed the court that the 1st defendant’s counsel was not in court, which meant that the arraignment could not go on.
The counsel prayed the court to allow the defendants to continue on the administrative bail earlier granted them by the EFCC.
But Justice Ogundare refused the prayer and held that since the defendants’ arraignment was stalled by the defence, they should be remanded in the EFCC’s custody pending arraignment.
Consequently, the Judge ordered that the three men be remanded in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) pending their arraignment for alleged offence of producing and selling fake dollars.
The case was adjourned till March 6, 2024, for arraignment.