EFCC operatives

Justice Nathaniel Ayo-Emmanuel of the Federal High Court, Ibadan, on Tuesday adjourned till June  22   hearing of  the written addresses in the alleged N177 million fraud case at the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T).

The EFCC  had in 2015 instituted the  case  against Prof. Benjamin Ogunbodede, the former Director of  IAR&T,  as well as  Zachus Tejumola, Clement Adenose and 10 others.

Ayo-Emmanuel adjourned the case based on the plea of  the EFCC counsel,  Mr Adeola Elumero,  who said that the commission needed  more time to complete its  written address.

“Anything worth doing at all is worth doing well  for the purpose of arriving at a just decision on this matter.

“I think that there is need for an adjournment in this case to enable the counsel to file his  written address.

“This will be the last adjournment at the instance of the prosecution,” the judge ruled.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that both the prosecution and all the defence counsel had  closed their cases since May 5.

The case did not also hold on the last adjourned date at the instance of the EFCC.

All the defence counsel–Mr Tunde Olupana, S.A. Salawu and Mrs Yetunde Adegboye– had earlier submitted that the anti-graft body was deliberately wasting time and prolonging the stay of  their clients in detention.

NAN reports that Ogunbodede, Tejumola and Adenose,  and the  10 other accused persons  had  been standing trial over multiple charges bordering on conspiracy as well as  conversion and stealing of  hazard allowance of staff of IART.

Ten  other accused  persons  had in 2016 pleaded guilty and entered into  plea bargain arrangement with the EFCC which resulted in their conviction.

(NAN)