The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday arraigned eleven persons before a Federal High Court sitting in Benin City, Edo State, for their involvement in bunkering petroleum products and forgery.
The suspects – Mohammed Yusuf, Adamu Mansur, Sani Rabiu, Murtala Mohammed, Yahaya Usman, Idris Abubakar, Yahaya Mohammed, Ibrahim Hassan, Hamisu Kamba, Aminu Ibrahim and Ibrahim Ahmed – were arraigned before Justice Okeke on a four-count charge.
While taking their plea, the accused persons pleaded not guilty on all counts.
Counsel to EFCC, Sa’ad Hanafi Sa’ad, then asked the court to remand the accused persons in prison custody and fix a date for the commencement of trial. But the defence counsel, Tayo Aluko, immediately applied for bail, a move that was countered by the defence counsel who argued that the accused persons could jump bail and cause a delay in the speedy conclusion of the case.
Justice Okeke turned down the bail application and ordered that the accused persons be remanded in prison custody, while he adjourned the case to May 21, 2012, for commencement of trial.