By Lukman Olabiyi
A lawmaker, Aliyu Ahman Pategi, representing Edu/Moro/Patigi Federal Constituency of Kwara State in the lower chamber of the National Assembly was on Friday remanded in prison by the Lagos State Magistrate Court, Igbosere.
The lawmaker was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over his failure to produce a former minister, Olope Jumoke Akinjide, who he stood surety for.
The EFCC stated that Akinjide was detained in their custody on August 9, 2016, before Pategi applied for her administrative bail, and stood as surety and entered a bail bond of N650 million for the former minister.
EFCC counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, told the court that since then the woman has refused to report to the commission despite repeated demands for her from the surety.
Pategi stood surety for Akinjide in respect of the money she allegedly collected from former minister of petroleum resources, Mrs. Deizani Alison-Madueke, sometime in March 2015.
In a 16-paragraph affidavit of the EFCC deposed to by Danladi Daniel the commission averred that a report was received in 2016 that Akinjide and others benefitted from N650 million, being proceeds of gratification received by Alison-Madueke from various oil marketers such as Northern Belt Oil and Gas Company, Actus Integrated Investment, and Adesanya Leno Olaitan, which was were kept with Fidelity Bank.