Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court, Abuja has remanded Robert Azibaola, a cousin to former President Goodluck Jonathan, in Kuje prison, Abuja.
The judge gave the order yesterday shortly after Azibaola, his wife, Stella and their firm, One Plus Holdings Nigeria Limited were arraigned on a seven-count charge of money laundering.
They were accused of, among others, unlawfully receiving about $40million from the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to them by an official of the court.
The couple stood quietly in the dock while the female court official read the charge to them. At a point, the judge instructed that chairs be provided for them to sit. They later sat close to each other for the other part of the proceedings that lasted about three hours.
The judge took arguments from parties on the bail applications filed for Azibaola and his wife and adjourned to today for ruling, but ordered that pending the ruling, the husband be remanded in prison, while he allowed the wife to remain on the administrative bail earlier granted her by the complainant, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
While moving the applications for bail, defence lawyers, Chris Uche and Goddy Uche (both Senior Advocates of Nigeria) argued that the offences with which their clients were charged were “ordinarily bailable.”
They told the court that both husband and wife were sick and needed time to be allowed to attend to their health conditions.
Lawyer to the husband, Chris said his client had been unlawfully held in the custody of the complainant since March 23 this year.
He said Azibaola’s constitutionally guaranteed right to personal liberty has been violated by the complainant, who allegedly held the him in unlawful custody.
He urged the court to grant him bail on liberal term to enable him attend court for trial.
Lawyer to the wife, Goddy, noted that his client had remained faithful to the terms of the administrative bail granted her, before yesterday, by the EFCC.
He said Mrs. Azibaola was not only a mother of young children, who require care, she was also indisposed and needed to attend to her health.
Prosecution lawyer, Aliyu Yussuf objected to the defendants’ bail application and urged the court to refuse them.
He noted that the offences with which the defendants were charged were serious, and attract between seven to 14 years jail term on conviction.
Justice Dimgba adjourned to today for ruling after listening to arguments by lawyers to parties.
The counts of the charge are as follows:
That you Azibaola Robert being the Managing Director / Chief Executive Officer and a signatory to the Zenith Bank account of One Plus Holdings Nigeria Limited, Mrs. Stella Azibaola Robert, being a director and a signatory to the account of One Plus Holdings Nigeria Limited and Amobi Ogum( now at large) on or about 8th September, 2014 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did conspire among yourselves to commit an illegal act to wit: money laundering of the sum of $40million transferred to the domiciliary account of One Plus Holdings Nigeria Limited with Zenith Bank, Account No. 5070365750 from the account of ONSA with the Central Bank of Nigeria upon a mandate Ref. No. 128/S.5LX/139 purporting to be for the supply of Tactical Communication Kits for Special Services and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8(a) of the Money Laundering( Prohibition) Act 2011 as amended in 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.That you, Azibaola Robert, Mrs. Stella Azibaola Robert directly took control of $39.999,958 only out of the total sum of $40million transferred to the domiciliary account of One Plus Holdings Nigeria Limited with Zenith Bank, Account No. 5070365750 from the account of ONSA with the Central Bank of Nigeria upon a mandate Ref. No. 128/S.5LX/139 when you reasonably ought to have known that the said fund formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity of Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki(rtd), the then National Security Adviser( To wit: criminal breach of trust and corruption) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2) (d) of the Money Laundering( Prohibition) Act 2011 as amended in 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.That you Azibaola Robert and Mrs. Stella Azibaola Robert on or about 8th September 2014 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this court directly converted $39.999,958 only out of the total sum of $40million transferred to the domiciliary account of One Plus Holdings Nigeria Limited when you reasonably ought to have known that the said fund formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity of Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki(rtd), the then National Security Adviser( To wit: criminal breach of trust and corruption) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2) (b) of the Money Laundering( Prohibition) Act 2011 as amended in 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.That you Azibaola Robert and Mrs. Stella Azibaola Robert did directly transfer $6,600,000 only being part of the $39.999,958 only out of the total sum of $40million to the bank account of Karahyna Nigeria Limited, a Bureau De Change company for Naira exchange, which you reasonably ought to have known that the said fund formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity of Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki(rtd), the then National Security Adviser( To wit: criminal breach of trust and corruption) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2) (b) of the Money Laundering( Prohibition) Act 2011 as amended in 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) and (4) of the same Act.That you Azibaola Robert and Mrs. Stella Azibaola Robert did directly transfer the aggregate sum of $1million only being part of the $39.999,958 only out of the total sum of $40million to the bank account of Reya Telecommunications Nigeria Limited, a sister company to One Plud Holdings Nigeria Limited, which you reasonably ought to have known that the said fund formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity of Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki(rtd), the then National Security Adviser( To wit: criminal breach of trust and corruption) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2) (b) of the Money Laundering( Prohibition) Act 2011 as amended in 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) and (4) of the same Act.hat you Azibaola Robert and Mrs. Stella Azibaola Robert did directly transfer the aggregate sum of $1,493,000 only being part of the sum of $39.999,958 only out of the total sum of $40million to the bank account of Kakatar EL Limited, a sister to One Plus Holdings Nigeria Limited which you reasonably ought to have known that the said fund formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity of Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki(rtd), the then National Security Adviser ( To wit: criminal breach of trust and corruption) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2) (b) of the Money Laundering( Prohibition) Act 2011 as amended in 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) and (4) of the same Act.That you Azibaola Robert , being the Managing Director / Chief Executive Officer of One Plus Holdings Nigeria Limited on or about 27th May, 2015 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this court having reason to know that the sum of N650million only directly represented the proceeds of an unlawful activity of Col. Mohammed Sambo Dasuki(rtd), the then National Security Adviser( To wit: criminal breach of trust and corruption) in respect of the said amount used the said fund for the purchase of Plot 2245, situate at Maitama Cadastral Zone No. A06 Measuring about 2,482, 28sqm with File No. KN 10182, Abuja from one Nu’uman Barau Danbatta represented by Tunji Adeniyi and Co.( Estate Surveyors and Valuers) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15(2) (d) of the Money Laundering( Prohibition) Act 2011 as amended in 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) and (4) of the same Act.”
