Justice Nathaniel Ayo-Emmanuel of the Federal High Court, Ibadan, Oyo State on Tuesday struck out the motion for separate trials filed by some of the accused persons in the case of the alleged N8 billion CEntral Bank of Nigeria currency scam.
Ayo-Emmanuel in three separate rulings held that the applicants should be more concerned with accelerated hearing of their cases rather than seek for separate trials.
The applicants are Patience Okoro, Afolabi Johnson, Sunday Ilori, Kolawole Babalola, Adeola Olaniran and Fatai Yusuf.
Ayo-Emmanuel said: “I see no merit in these applications; same is hereby refused and struck out.”
The defendants in the case had approached the Court of Appeal to challenge the trial judge’s dismissal of their bail applications to no avail.
Adebisi Adeniyi, the counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, said evidence to be used against the defendants was available, adding that the prosecution was waiting for trial to commence.
But Dr. Akin Onigbinde, Olalekan Ojo, K.A. Lawal and other defence counsel argued that their clients should be separately tried.
The applicants along with others are standing trial on multiple charges bordering on conspiracy, forgery, stealing and recirculation of
mutilated N8 billion currencies, being property of CBN.
The judge adjourned the case till November 3 for trial.
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