CASE NUMBER 10941:

Ex-Staff of OAGF, Charles Aiyeyi, Jailed One Year in Lagos

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Alleged Perpetrators(s)

Charles Aiyeyi

Location (Town / State)

Ikeja, Lagos

Date of Event

27 May 2022

Date of republication

27 May every year

Case category (Choose all that apply)

Case Summary

Aiyeyi was prosecuted by the Lagos Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for making false statement to a public officer with intent to pervert the course of justice and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

Full story

According to a statement by the EFCC’s Head of Media & Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, Aiyeyi, 66, alongside one Friday Itsede, was arraigned by the commission on a two-count charge for their involvement in the stalling of the trial of one Jerome Itepu, Chief Executive Officer, Omo-Jay Nigeria Limited.
During the trial, Callistus Egwuonwu, a witness for the prosecution, stated that the EFCC had received a petition against several people, including Itepu, at some point in 2015. He informed the court that Itepu had been invited for questioning in 2018 as part of the inquiry, and that Itepu had accepted the invitation. Additionally, he informed the court that following his statement to the EFCC, Itepu had been given an administrative bail.
The alleged fraudster met the bail requirement by offering the two defendants who would serve as sureties for him. In a letter of introduction from the Office of the Auditor-General, Aiyeyi identified himself as a member of the Office's staff. Itsede, the second defendant, informed authorities that the suspect was a "blood relation" and that He could always produce him. Each of them signed a N18 million bond.
The defendants were then given access to the suspect. However, he skipped bail and went into hiding, and the defendants were unable to locate him despite their guarantees and pledges.
The defendants were then detained by the EFCC and accused of perverting the course of justice in court. Even though charges had been filed against the alleged fraudster, the court could not hear his arraignment since he was still at large and the defendants had not made him available. It was then determined that the first defendant, Aiyeyi, had in fact retired at the time he identified himself to the EFCC as an employee of the Office of the Auditor General.
On May 27, 2022, Justice Dada handed down his ruling, discharging and clearing the second defendant on the grounds that, contrary to what the defense claimed, Exhibit P3, the bail requirement, only called for one surety, a level 14 civil officer, in this case Aiyeyi. After concluding that the prosecution had successfully proven the charges against the first defendant, the judge gave him a one-year prison sentence. After the allocutus, he had the choice of paying a fine of N1 million.

Photo credit : https://www.primebusiness.africa/ex-staff-of-oagf-charles-aiyeyi-jailed-one-year-in-lagos/

External links/URLs

https://www.efcc.gov.ng/news/8047-ex-staff-of-oagf-charles-aiyeyi-jailed-one-year-in-lagos
https://www.primebusiness.africa/ex-staff-of-oagf-charles-aiyeyi-jailed-one-year-in-lagos/

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