JUST IN: Court Grants Ex-Head Of Civil Service Oyo-Ita, N100m Bail

The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted the former Head of Service, Winifred Oyo-Ita bail.

The presiding judge, Justice Taiwo Taiwo on Monday granted her bail of N100m with sureties in like sum.

Justice Taiwo said that the sureties must be resident in Abuja and must be a civil servant not less than grade level 17 with property worth N100m while the other surety must show evidence of gainful employment.

He also noted that the sureties must depose to an affidavit to pay N100m in the eventuality that Oyo-Ita will be granted bail.

The two other defendants, Garba Umar and Ubonh Effiok were granted bail in the sum of N50m each.

Mrs Oyo-Ita was arraigned by the anti-graft agency, EFCC, alongside her special assistant, Ubong Effiok; Frontline Ace Global Services Limited; Asanaya Projects Ltd; Garba Umar and his companies, Slopes International Ltd and Gooddeal Investments Ltd.

Other defendants include U & U Global Services Ltd, belonging to Mr Effiok, and Prince Mega Logistics Ltd.

They were all arraigned for alleged fraud in relation to DTA, estacodes, conference fees and receiving kickbacks on contracts, before Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Mrs Oyo-Ita was arrested last August and released on administrative bail after spending four days in the custody of the commission.

She was subsequently sacked in September after about N600 million was allegedly found in the bank account of her aide.

Court Session
At the commencement of trial on Monday, the prosecution lawyer, Mohammed Abubakar, informed the court of the 18-count charge dated and filed on February 28 against Mrs Oyo-Ita and the other defendants.

Mr Abubakar urged that the charges be read to the defendants.

Count one of the charge reads; “That you Winifred Oyo-Ita (whilst serving as a Deputy Director in the Federal Ministry of Power) and Frontline Ace Global Services Limited (a company incorporated in Nigeria and of which Winifred Oyo-Ita is the sole signatory of its bank accounts at Zenith Bank) sometime in April, 2010 within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court collaborated in disguising the genuine Ownership of an aggregate sum of N20,000,000.00 (Twenty Million Naira only) paid by the Federal Ministry of Power into the Zenith Bank account of Frontline Ace Global Services Limited No: 1011518656 which sum was derived directly from an illegal act, to wit: corruption and you thereby committed an offence punishable under section 14(1)(6) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2004.

The nine defendants all pleaded not guilty to the 18-count charge.