I will be in court by 8am – Wale Babalakin

The Chairman of Bi-Courtney Highway Services Limited, Dr. Wale Babalakin, has said he will be in court on Thursday morning as early as 8am for the commencement of his prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for alleged money laundering.
Babalakin, in an update on the statement by his media aide, Dipo Kehinde, said that contrary to the position of the EFCC that he was avoiding prosecution, which led to the EFCC declaring him wanted, he was set for his arraignment in connection with a case of criminal conspiracy and money laundering to the tune of N4.7 billion.
The EFCC had on Wednesday evening declared Babalakin wanted.
A statement by the EFCC said that Babalakin, who was supposed to report at the office of the commission in preparation for his arraignment on Thursday, failed to show up.
He is to be arraigned before Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo of a Lagos High Court on Thursday before he was declared wanted.
The EFCC statement described Babalakin as dark complexioned and speaks English and Yoruba fluently.
The Commission said anyone with useful information on the whereabouts of Babalakin should contact any of its offices in Enugu, Kano, Lagos, Gombe, Port Harcourt or Abuja.
It also gave telephone lines via which the Commission could be reached.
These are: 09-4604620, 0702635721-5.
The Commission said it could also be reached by email at [email protected] or the nearest police station.
However, Kehinde told The Eagle Online that the EFCC’s declaration of Babalakin wanted was to embarrass him.
He said that the operative of the EFCC in charge of the case still spoke with Babalakin at 5pm on Wednesday and that it was agreed that he should come to the court for arraignment on Thursday on his own.
He said the ploy by the EFCC is to take his boss to the court in a condescending manner and ridicule him, adding that Babalakin would be in court on Thursday for the arraignment.
In a statement he later issued, Kehinde said: “We don’t understand the game that EFCC is playing.
“This is nothing but a deep political game.
“Since Babalakin came out of the hospital, he has reported at the EFCC office in Lagos more than five times.
“He was also there on Tuesday.
“He’s on EFCC’s administrative bail.
“He’s not a man on the run.
“We have a date in court tomorrow, but EFCC wants to do jungle justice.
“Babalakin was in touch with EFCC by 5pm today.
“They asked him to report at their office tomorrow before he goes to court.
“Tonight, he was declared wanted.”
In the addition to the statement, Kehinde said: “Babalakin as a law abiding citizen will be in court 8am tomorrow (today).”