After fresh detention for 21 days, the Federal High Court 1 sitting in Lokoja has finally granted bail to Samuel Ajewole, one of the three suspects allegedly involved in sharing the story of petition on the alleged fraud against the Senior Special Assistant to Kogi Governor on Security Matters in charge of MopAmuro LGA, David Sunday Moses (Alumo).
Justice Donatus Okorowa while approving the bail application filed by Sunday Omoniyi, Esq. which was not opposed by the Prosecutor, Sam Idowu, CSP, asked the accused to produce a surety in the bail condition.
The Judge said the surety must be a civil servant of not below grade level 13, of a valid address and resident in Lokoja, the state capital.
The bail was granted on Wednesday August 5th but the protocols and bureaucracy of fulfilling the conditions kept the suspect in detention for an extra week.
Ajewole, a businessman from MopAmuro LGA is facing a double trial for his alleged role in sharing a post on Facebook on alleged N44m fraud against the council boss.
The money was meant for payment of about 13 months salary of members of Non Academic Staff Union (NASU) of secondary schools in the local government.
Details of the allegations are contained in a petition signed by Alege V.M and Sunmonu Abayomi, Chairperson and Secretary respectively of the union in the council area.
The trio of Ajewole, Alege and Sunmonu were earlier arrested and detained for nine days before they were charged for conspiracy and defamation of character at a Senior Magistrate Court sitting in Lokoja. Senior Magistrate Clement Kekere released them on bail and adjourned the case for hearing.
At the resumed hearing on 23rd July however, Ajewole was rearrested and taken to the Federal High Court where he was arraigned for cyber crime.
He has remained in custody since then until the current ruling.
The MopAmuro chapter of the Non Academic Staff Union (NASU) of secondary schools had in a petition accused Moses, aka Alumo, of outright embezzlement of the council fund to the tune of N44 million.
The said fund was meant for the payment of 10 months outstanding and three months salary of the workers. The arrears have been pending since 2016.
Both Alege and Sunmonu who signed the petition are civil servants in the council. Ajewole is said to have shared a post on the petition on his Facebook page. Alumo was former Administrator of the council and now seeking to be its elected Chairman.
According to the petitioners, the state government has released the said money to the council areas.
They explained that while their colleagues in other local government areas have been paid, the Council Boss diverted their own money to personal needs.
“Our complaint against the administrator is in respect of the sum of N44, 000,000 (Forty–Four Million Naira) only which was part of the money given to the Administrator by the state government to settle our 13 months outstanding salary arrears from 2016. The said sums are emanated from the 10 months salary and 3 months bailout given to the administrator.
“It is a fact that cannot be denied that the said sums were given to our Administrator to pay our 13 months salary just like they were given to other Administrators in the state. It will interest you to know sir, that all the Administrators in the state paid the said 13 months salary to their staff as appropriated save our own”
The men were released on bail.
It was however gathered that they have been under pressure to withdraw their petition and write a letter of apology to the Council boss, in order to save their jobs. Thus far, they have held to their position, maintaining that their petition was based on facts.
It was gathered that Ajewole was also said to have been resisting pressure to write a letter of apology to the council boss so that the charges against him can be dropped. Both cases are still subsisting against him in the two courts.
Meanwhile Alumo made a first appearance before the Kogi State House of Assembly which is investigating a petition against him on Tuesday.
The lawmakers gave him ten days to bring all documents relating to the allegation of embezzlement of workers 13 months salary brought against him by the union.
Credit: TheNews
