Court further adjourns trial of Akinjide, others, until Dec. 8

A Federal High Court in, Lagos, on Tuesday further adjourned until Dec. 8 the continuation of the trial of a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Jumoke Akinjide and others, facing charges of N650 million fraud.

Akinjide was charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), along with a former Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Ayo Adeseun, and a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Olarenwaju Otiti.

Also named in the charge was a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, who is said to be “at large”.

The defendants are accused of conspiring to directly take possession of the sum of N650 million, which they reasonably ought to have known formed part of proceeds of an unlawful act and without going through a financial institution.

The case which was earlier fixed for trial on Tuesday, could not proceed as the court did not sit.

A new date of Dec. 8 has now been fixed for the continuation of the trial.

In the charge, the defendants were alleged to have received the money from the former Petroleum Minister Alison-Madueke, in the build-up to the 2015 general election.

The sum was said to be part of a $115 million allegedly disbursed by Alison- Madueke to influence the outcome of the 2015 presidential election.