Court Issues Worldwide Order for Arrest of Ex-NIA DG Oke, Wife
The Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday ordered the arrest of former National Intelligence Agency (NIA) Director-General, Ambassador Ayodele Oke, and his wife, Folasade.
Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke made the order following an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, told Justice Aneke that the defendants could not be found.
He said the couple also refused to pick calls from EFCC operatives.
“I have carefully considered the oral application for the arrest of the person mentioned herein and I am convinced beyond reasonable doubt that the said application is meritorious.
The judge ruled; “Accordingly the application is hereby granted as prayed
“It is hereby ordered that Ambassador Ayedele Oke and wife, Folasade Oke, be arrested anywhere they are been sighted in world.
“This application is not without merit,” the judge ruled.
He adjourned the case to March 8, for report of arrest.
The EFCC had instituted a four-count charge against Oke and Folashade.
It had intended to arraign the defendants before the judge in connection with the sums of $43,449,947, £27,800 and N23,218,000 (totalling N13billion) removed by the EFCC from Flat 7B Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos linked to them.
When the case came up yesterday the EFCC counsel, Oyedepo, had informed Justice Aneke of his intention to make an oral application, seeking the issuance of bench warrant against the sacked NIA DG and his wife.
But the judge during the proceedings had stated that he had not seen the case file.
But the registrar of the court informed him that the case file was already before the court.
This prompted Justice Aneke to declare that he needed to go through the case file before entertaining any application.
The judge then adjourned the case to yesterday for the commission to move its oral application seeking for bench warrant against Oke and his wife.
Before then, Oyedepo had urged the judge to reschedule the planned arraignment of the sacked DG of NIA and his wife because of the failure of the anti-graft agency to produce the duo before the court.