Edo PDP chairman, governorship candidate spend the night in Benin prison

Osagie Ize-Iyamu, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the last governorship election in Edo, spent Thursday night in Benin Prison, after failing to meet the bail conditions given by a federal high court in the state.

Dan Orbih, the state chairman of the party; Lucky Imasuen, a former deputy governor of the state; Tony Azegbemi, a former member house of representatives member; and Efe Anthony, all slept in the prison.

An officer of the Nigerian Prisons Service (NPS) who pleaded anonymity disclosed this to NAN on Friday

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The source who was on night duty at Benin Prisons on Thursday, said the five accused were kept in custody because they failed to meet with the bail conditions as at the time of close of work on Thursday.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned  the PDP chieftain before a federal high court sitting in Benin on Thursday on an eight-count charge of allegedly laundering N700 million.

The five accused were granted bail of N10 million each, with sureties of like sum.

The judge ordered that the sureties, who must not be below grade level 16, must be home owners, with Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) that should be deposited with the court’s deputy registrar.

P.I Adjokwu, the judge, ordered that all the accused be remanded in custody pending when they meet their applications for bail.

The judge gave the order after rejecting a plea by counsel to Ize-Iyamu, Charles Edosomwan, that they should be kept in the custody of the EFCC.

The case was subsequently adjourned till July 4, 2018.

The EFCC alleged that the defendants were arraigned for receiving N700 Million prior to the 2015 general election from Diezani Alison-Madueke, former minister of petroleum.

The money was part of the $115 million that Diezani pilfered from the treasury.

The commission said the offence contravened section 15(2) (d)of the money laundering (Prohibited) Act 2011(as amended by the money laundering (Prohibition) punishable under section 15(3) of same Act.