N2.5bn fraud: Judge’s illness delays Ogungbemi speaker’s case

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, and the Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Olakunle Oluomo, filed a fraud case that the Federal High Court in Abeokuta, Ogun State, was unable to hear.

According to information obtained by DAILY POST, Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, the judge, is a little unwell.

Justice Abdulmalik was unable to attend the court hearing for the Speaker’s fraud case despite being in her courtroom chambers.

It was reported that Oluomo arrived at the courthouse at around 8:45 am, after the attorneys for the EFCC.

After waiting for more than an hour inside the court, along with the former Deputy Speaker, Dare Kadiri, they all exited when court staff informed them that the case had been postponed until March 29 and 30, 2023.

Justice Abdulmalik chose convenient dates for the next adjournment and invited counsels to her chambers to brief them on the situation.

After the case was moved from Lagos to Ogun State, the court had to adjourn it a second time.

Oluomo was detained by the EFCC in September 2022 and then charged in suit number FHC/AB/61C/2022 for allegedly diverting N2.5 billion that belonged to the Assembly.

Along with the Director of Finance, Oladayo Samuel, and the Clerk of the House, Taiwo Adeyemo, Oluomo was charged.

The Speaker and others were charged by the EFCC with falsifying documents in order to steal billions of naira from the legislative assembly.

Following their admission of innocence, they were given bail; nevertheless, they were still required to turn in their travel documents to the court registry.