Layi Olanrewaju, Ilorin
A lecturer, Mr Mustapha Ilyas Abdulwasiu, at the Federal Polytechnic, Offa, Kwara State who was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC) on a nine-count charge bordering on employment scam and obtaining money under false pretence, has declared his intention to opts for plea bargain.
The Commission had last week Tuesday arraigned the defendants before Justice Sikiru Oyinloye of the Kwara State High Court, Ilorin but pleaded guilty to the charge preferred against him.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC ) said it would soon re – arraigned a lecturer at the Federal Polytechnic, Offa, Kwara State, Mr Mustapha Ilyas Abdulwasiu.
The Commission had last week Tuesday arraigned the defendants before Justice Sikiru Oyinloye, of the Kwara State High Court, Ilorin on a nine count charge bordering on employment scam and obtaining money under false pretence.
But the story took another dimension on Tuesday when the counsel to the lecturer, Basir Oladipo, told the 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 as well 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 November 6, we shall be conceding for adjournment, because defendant through his counsel wrote a letter to the Commission for plea bargain.”
Justice Oyinloye after hearing from both parties adjourned the case till November 26.
Count one of the charge reads: “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 N600,000.00 from 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 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”
