By Steve Oni, Ilorin
Fresh indications have emerged on Thursday that the embattled lecturer at the Federal Polytechnic, Offa, Mustapha Ilyas Abdulwasiu would be re-arraigned by the Ilorin Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC).
The Commission had last week Tuesday arraigned the defendant before Justice Sikiru Oyinloye of a Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin on a nine count charge bordering on Employment Scam and obtaining money under false pretence.
Count one of the charge stated: “That you Mustapha Ilyas Abdulwasiu between June and July 2018 at Offa, within the jurisdiction of this honourable Court with intent to defraud obtained the sum of #600,000.00 (Six hundred thousand naira) from one Amubiaya Raphael Oluwafemi by false pretence that you were in charge of employment at the Federal Polytechnic, Offa and obtained the money for the purpose of securing employment for the said Amubiaya Raphael Oluwafemi and his wife, Amubiaya Remi Janet which representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, No. 14, 2006.”
While Count nine of the charge stated: “That you, Mustapha Ilyas Abdulwasiu between December, 2018 and February 2019 at Offa within the jurisdiction of this honourable Court with intent to defraud obtained the sum of #550,000.00 (Five hundred and fifty thousand naira) from one Mustapha Kabir by false pretence that you were in charge of Employment at the Federal Polytechnic, Offa and you obtained the money for the purpose of securing employment for the said Mustapha Kabir and his wife, Jimoh Ganiyatu which representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, No 14 , 2006.”
But the story took another dimension on Tuesday when the Counsel to the embattled lecturer, Basir Oladipo told the Presiding Judge that the accused was making move to settle with both the complainants and the prosecution.
Oladipo said: ” My Lord, we have an application which is pending before your Lordship, the application is seeking for bail, but we are making move to see how this matter would be resolved, we have spoken with both the complainants and the prosecution ( EFCC).
Responding, Counsel to the EFCC, A.A Adebayo said: ” My Lord, we acknowledged the receipt of the motion for bail filed by the defendant, we filed our counter affidavit dated on the 6th of November 2019, we shall be conceding for adjournment be the defendant through his counsel wrote a letter to the Commission for plea bargain.”
Justice Oyinloye after hearing from both parties adjourned the case till 26th of November 2019.
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