CBN Staff Involved In N8bn Fraud Own Posh Cars, Petrol Stations,Shopping Complex and More

The court trial of some Ibadan based bankers involved in the theft of N8 billion mutilated banknotes was yesterday told of the stupendous wealth of the suspects.

The suspects were alleged to have acquired petrol stations, shopping malls in Nigeria and abroad, exotic cars, supermarkets, among others.

Mr. Ayodeji Alase, one of the suspects and a holder of primary six certificate, was alleged to have acquired property including a duplex at Oluyole, a shopping complex, warehouse at Podo, Challenge and a fenced plot at Dugbe in Ibadan.

He was also alleged to own a four flat building at Apeye, two plots of land, five-bedroom flat in Apete, Ibadan, a supermarket at New Garage, Apata Expressway.

However, a mild drama took place in the court as Alase delayed the proceedings of the court, claiming he did not understand English language after working for years at First Bank Plc as a cash officer.

The judge then said since he insisted he did not understand English, an interpreter had to be used to translate the charges to him in Yoruba and also the proceedings of the court so that the accused would not be shut out. The interpreter initially secured, however, found the job difficult forcing the judge to screen another person for the job of interpretation.

The other accused persons, Olaniran Muniru Adeola, Ayodele Festus Adeyemi, Isiaq Akano and others were all alleged to own property in South Africa, petrol stations, cement shops, schools, supermarket, exotic cars, buildings in several places. All the eight accused persons, who were docked were denied bail and were remanded in Agodi Prison pending the determination of the bail applications they had filed.

The cases were heard in batches by the court. The first batch of accused persons who were slammed with a 28-count charge, are Kolawole Babalola, Olaniran Adeola, Toogun Phillip, Ayodele Adeyemi, Isiaq Akano, Oyebamiji Akeem, Ayodeji Alase, Ajiwe Sunday Adegoke and Idowu Oguntade, who is still at large. Three officials of the CBN Toogun Phill, Kolawole Babalola and Olaniran Muniru Adeola, were among the accused while others were from Wema Bank Plc and First Bank Plc.