From Tade Oludayo, Ibadan
On Monday next week, the 6 staff of the Central Bank of Nigeria and 16 from commercial banks accused of stealing and recirculation of mutilated currencies worth over N8bn will begin their journey through trial.
The 3rd batch of suspects, 3 CBN and 2 from the commercial banks, were on Thursday arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in before a Federal High Court in Ibadan.
They are Kolawole Babalola, Olaniran Muniru Adeola, Toogun Kayode Philip, Ajuwon Bolade and Samuel Ogbeide respectively.
They were accused to have conspired with other two suspects, Onabanjo Olumayowa and Tijani Olusoga, who were now at large, between 2011 and 2012 in Ibadan, and delivered on false pretence a sum of N1,060,000,000 to the CBN, Ibadan branch, instead of N159,431,700, that should have been in the 106 boxes containing the supposed mutilated currencies.
A total of 14-count charge was preferred against the accused and they pleaded not guilty to all the charges. The trial judge, Justice Faaj, fixed June 12, this year, for hearing of motion on bail applications and ordered that the accused be remanded in prison.
All the suspects apart from a nursing mother Kehinde Fadokun are remanded in Prison Custody.
