Money laundering: Court remands Atiku's son-in-law, others in EFCC custody

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*Federal High Court, Lagos

(Nigeria) A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Wednesday remanded Atiku's son-in-laws, Abdullahi Babalele, a lawyer, Uyiekpen Giwa-Osagie, who is said to be Atiku's lawyer and the brother to the lawyer, Erhunse Giwa-Osagie, in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, till Thursday, when their bail applications would be heard.
Trial judge, Justice Nicholas Oweibo, remanded Babalele, and the Giwas-Osagie's brothers in the EFCC's custody, after pleas were taken in money laundering charges brought against them.
Prior to the remand order, the EFCC had arraigned the trio on two different charges.
While the Atiku's son-in-law, Babalele was docked on a two count-charge of laundering $140,000, the Giwa-Osagie's brothers were arraigned on three counts charge of laundering $2million.
In the charge against Babalele, the EFCC alleged that he had on February 20, 2019,  procured and aided one Bashir Mohammed to make cash payment of the sum of $140,000, without going through financial institution.
Also, Osagie's brothers were also alleged to have on February 12, 2019, aided each other and made cash payment of $2million, without going through the financial institutions.
The offences, according to the prosecution, are contrary to sections 18(c), 18(a), 1(a), 16(1), (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under Section 16, 16(2)(b)16(2)(b) of the same Act.
After the defendant's not guilty pleas were separately taken, lawyer to Atiku's son in-law, Mike Ozekhome, Ahmed Raji and Norrison Quakers both, SANs,  for Osagie's brothers, told the court that they had filed and served the prosecution with their  clients bail applications, but the EFCC was yet to file any response to the applications.
Both Ozekhome and Raji in their separate submissions, informed the court that the prosecutor, Oyedepo, had told them that he will file his response on Wednesday.
They therefore, urged the court to allow their clients to be in the custody of the EFCC till Thursday, when the applications would be heard and determined.
Responding, the prosecutor, Oyedepo, admitted that the defendants' bail applications had been served on his office since last week but said he just laid his hands on them today (yesterday) and undertake to file his responses to the applications tomorrow.
On where the defendants should be kept after pleas had been taken, Oyedepo told the court that the proper place to remand the defendants after plea taken, was in prison custody, adding that the agency's remand facility was overstretched.
He therefore, urged the court to remand the defendants in prison custody till the hearing and determination of their bail applications.
However, Justice Oweibo in a short ruling, ordered that the three defendants be remanded in the EFCC's custody till Thursday, when their bail applications shall be entertained and determined.

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