The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday secured a court order for the arrest of a former Director General of the National Intelligence Agency (NAI), Ambassador Ayodele Oke, and his wife, Folasade.

Justice Chukwujeku Aneke of an Abuja High Court issued the order consequent upon an oral application by the EFCC counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo.

Justice Aneke held: “I have carefully considered the oral application for the arrest of the person mentioned herein, and I am convinced beyond reasonable doubt that the said application is meritorious.

“Accordingly the application is hereby granted as prayed.

“It is hereby ordered that Ambassador Ayedele Oke and wife, Folasade Oke, should be arrested anywhere they are been sighted in the world.”

Oke and his wife are wanted in connection with the $43,449,947, £27,800 and N23,218,000 cash recovered by the EFCC from an apartment at Osborne Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, in April 2017.

They are facing a four-count charge bordering on money laundering offence to the tune of N13 billion.

One of the counts reads: “That you, Amb. Ayodele Oke, and Mrs. Folasade Ayodele Oke on or about the 12th day of April 2017 in Lagos concealed the sum of $43,449,947,000 property of the Federal Government of Nigeria in Flat 7B, No. 16 Osborne Road, Osborne Towers, Ikoyi Lagos which sum you reasonably ought to have known formed part of proceeds of an unlawful act to wit: criminal breach of trust and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15 (2) (a) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.”

Another count reads: “That you, Amb. Ayodele Oke and Mrs. Folasade Ayodele Oke between 25th day of August 2015 and 2nd day of September 2015 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this court directly converted $160,777,136.85 property of the Federal Government of Nigeria to your own use which sum you reasonably ought to have known formed part of proceeds of an unlawful act to wit: criminal breach of trust and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) (Amendment) Act 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.”

The case has been adjourned to March 8, 2019 for report on the arrest.

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