Alleged N72.5m Theft: Court Grants Ex-NUFBTE Leader Bail

Justice Mojisola Dada of the Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja has granted bail to a former leader of the National Union of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employees (NUFBTE) Peter Onoja, in the sum of N25 million bail.

Onoja was arraigned before the court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for allegedly stealing N72.5 million from the union’s purse.

Justice Dada, who granted the defendant bail with two sureties in like sum, also directed that the sureties must be gainfully employed and that they must have evidence of two years’ tax payment to the Lagos State government.

The judge further ordered the defendant to submit his international passport to the court’s Chief registrar.

The EFCC had on December 1, 2022, arraigned the defendant before the court on a six-count charge bordering on stealing.

The anti-graft agency had alleged that the defendant stole the sum of N72.5 million from the union purse on several occasions.

The EFCC had insisted that the offence violated the provisions of Section 287 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2011.

During yesterday’s proceedings, the defence counsel, Michael Onasanya, in a 12-paragraph affidavit filed in support of the bail application, prayed to the court to grant bail to his client on liberal terms.

Onasanya based his request on the premise that the defendant did not jump the administrative bail earlier granted to him by the EFCC and that he willingly submitted himself for arraignment.

The EFCC counsel, Spife Owede, in his 16-paragraph counter-affidavit dated January 1, opposed the application, but in a situation where the judge is willing to grant it, he asked the court to impose on the defendant condition that will make it difficult for him to abscond.

He said, “in the instance that the court is inclined to grant bail, and finds merit in the application, we urge the court to impose stringent conditions that will make it practically impossible for the defendant to abscond,” he asked.

Justice Dada has adjourned the case to March 21 for the commencement of trial.