A High Court in Oyo State on Wednesday ordered the ICPC to produce all four suspects named in the alleged N3 million National Horticulture Research Institute (NIHORT) Ibadan, bribe case on Jan. 23, 2020 for arraignment.
The ICPC filed criminal charges against Ademola Idowu, former Director, NIHORT, former accountant, Isiah Ajisafe, David Ikyobo and Messrs Sterling Designs and Associates Limited.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the arraignment of the suspects was stalled due to the absence of Ikyobo and Messrs Sterling Designs and Associates Limited.
Justice Munta Abimbola said it was not procedurally right to arraign only two suspects when four people were charged for the same offence.
Abimbola, therefore, adjourned the case until Jan.23, 2020 for arraignment.
The ICPC charged the suspects with eight counts bordering on conspiracy and receiving N3 million as bribe from the institute’s consultants.
The prosecution counsel, Miss Abisola Bisi-Balogun, alleged that Idowu collected N1.8 million while Ajisafe collected N1.2 million as bribes to appoint Sterling Designs and Associates Limited as the institutes’ consultant.
She alleged that Ikyobo, being the director of the consulting firm, allegedly gave N3 million.
The prosecutor alleged that Idowu also transferred N5 million from the personal Emolument fund of the institute to the Vegetable Development Company Account on Nov.11,2008.
She said that the offence contravened the provisions sections 26, 10 (a)(II) of the Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Act 2000.