•Buys N25m property, returns N5m

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned a staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Christian Nwosu, for receiving N30 million as bribe from the N23 billion allegedly stolen by a former petroleum minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke for the 2015 general elections.
EFCC also said Nwosu has given account of the properties he acquired with the bribe.
The bribe was allegedly meant to compromise electoral officers ahead of the 2015 general elections which the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lost to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Nwosu was among three INEC officials arraigned, yesterday, before Justice M. B. Idris of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, on a seven-count charge bordering on receiving N265 million gratification.
Nwosu and the other accused persons- Yisa Adedoyin and Tijani Bashir – had, on March 27, 2015, allegedly received bribes from Mrs. Alison-Madueke.
Both the second and third defendants, Adedoyin and Bashir, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
However, the first defendant, Mr. Nwosu, pleaded guilty to the charge preferred against him.
Counsel to the first defendant, Adaku Ngbangba, pleaded with the court to grant her client bail on own recognisance, adding that “he is a first-time offender. He has put in over 20 years in service. Given his honestly, I urge you, my Lord, to grant him bail on liberal terms.”
Counsel to the second defendant, Ms. Ngbangba, as well as counsel to the third defendant, Nelson Imoh, also pleaded with the court to grant their clients bail on own recognisance.
In his address, the prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, told the court that the first defendant had entered a plea bargain agreement with the commission. He said: “We received $115 million, kept in the custody of Fidelity Bank Plc, which was subsequently converted to N23 billion.
“Of this amount of money, it was alleged that the first defendant received a cash payment of N30 million as Director and Administrative Secretary, INEC, Kwara State. The first defendant went to Fidelity Bank and signed for N264,880,000. This was left in the bank in the custody of the third defendant who carried it in a Hilux bus and was making cash payment/withdrawals without going through any financial institutions. “In the course of making the cash payments, the third defendant paid the first defendant the total sum of N30, 000,000.00 cash.”
Oyedepo further told the court that the first defendant was invited to the Commission’s office, where he made his statement under words of caution. He stated that the receipt of payment of the money signed for by the first defendant was also retrieved by the Commission. Both the statement and the receipt were tendered and admitted as exhibits A-A6 by the court. Oyedepo also told the court that the first defendant had admitted essentially to the ingredients of the alleged offence in his statement to the Commission on December 12, 2016.
Oyedepo, in his address, to the court said Nwosu “brought the title documents to the EFCC office. Having demonstrated remorse and given useful information to aid the prosecution of the case, he has entered into an agreement to forfeit the properties to the Federal Government. The properties are listed in the paragraphs 1 and 2 of the plea bargain agreement.
“The EFCC has recovered the N5 million left from the first defendant, having spent N25m to acquire properties.”
He also urged the court to convict the first defendant in line with the count seven of the charges and adopt the term contained in the plea bargain agreement.
Consequently, Justice Idris found the first defendant liable as charged on count seven.
He, however, deferred the sentencing of the first defendant to May 7, 2017, which is the date set for continuation of trial.