From Victor Osula, Abuja
Dr Agunloye
The Federal High Court, Abuja, has ordered the remand of a former Minister of Power and Steel, Olu Agunloye, in Kuje Correctional Service. Justice J.O Onwuegbuzie of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court, Apo, Abuja, gave the ruling on Wednesday.
Agunloye, a minister under President Olusegun Obasanjo’s government between 1999 and 2003, was arrested by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday, December 13, 2023.
The EFCC had declared him wanted over his role in the $6 billion Mambilla hydropower contract.
One of the count reads: “That you, Olu Agunloye, whilst being the Minister of Power and Steel on or about the 22nd of May, 2003 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court awarded a contract, titled “Construction of 3,960mw Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Station on a Build, Operate and Transfer Basis” to Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited without any budgetary provision, approval and cash backing and you thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22(4) of the Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Act, 2000.”
Another count reads: “That you, Olu Agunloye, on or about the 10th of August, 2019 in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, corruptly received the sum of Three Million Six Hundred Thousand Naira (N3,600,000.00) through your Guaranty Trust Bank account no.0022530926 from Sunrise Power and Transmission Company Limited (SPTCL) and Leno Adesanya for having conveyed the “approval of the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for the construction of the 3,960 megawatts Mambilla Hydroelectric Power Station” in favour of SPTCL which you did whilst serving as the Minister of Power and Steel without the approval of the Federal Executive Council contrary to and punishable under Section 8(1)(a) and (b) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act, 2000.”
Former President Obasanjo had accused Agunloye of mismanaging the power project during his tenure from 1999 to 2003 and failed to brief him on the state of the project.
Obasanjo had accused Agunloye of fraudulently awarding the contract for the power project to Sunrise Power and Transmission Ltd, without the approval of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
Sunrise is currently in arbitration against Nigeria, demanding billions of dollars for the failed contract.
Prosecution counsel, Abba Muhammed prayed the court for a trial date and to remand the defendant in a Correctional Centre. Defence counsel, Adola Adedipe, SAN, informed the court that he has filed a bail application for the defendant and prayed the court to grant him bail and commit him to the custody of the EFCC.
Justice Onwuegbuzie ruled that the defendant be remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre and set Thursday, January 11, 2024 for hearing on the bail application.
