The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, yesterday, arraigned Mrs. Isabella Oshodin and Bob Oshodin Organisation Ltd before Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja on a 25-count charge bordering on money laundering to the tune of N22,964,228,414 billion.
Oshodin was alleged to have on 16 occasions, received the sums of N500,000,000; N750,000,000; N125,000,000; N350,000,000; N170,000,000; N85,000,000; N60,000,000; N50,000,000 and others which totalled N2,366,000,000billion from the office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) under the then NSA, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd). Investigations further revealed that the defendant on eight occasions received from Dasuki’s ONSA money totaling $57,217,301.15 million, into the Escrow accounts of Bob Oshodin Organisation Ltd. Count two of the charges reads:
“That you, Mrs. Isabela Mimie Oshodin, Bob Oshodin Organisation Ltd and Mr. Robert (Bob) Oshodin (still at large) on or about June, 22,2014 in Abuja ,within the jurisdiction of this honourable Court directly transferred the sum of $7,712,598 million to Portfolio Escrow Company with account number 3102004330 domiciled in California Republic Bank, United States of America which sum you reasonably ought to have known to proceed of an unlawful act of Sambo Dasuki (rtd), the then NSA to wit: criminal breach of trust and you thereby committed an offense contrary to Section 15 (2) (b) of the Money Laundering (Provision) Act, 2011as amended in 2012 and punishable under Section 15(3) of the same Act.”
The defendant pleaded “not guilty” to the charge when read to her. In view of her plea, prosecuting counsel, Aisha Tahar Habib ,prayed the court to fix a date for the commencement of trial.
“I have noticed my lord the second defendant is not represented, notwithstanding, in view of the first defendant’s plea of not guilty, I will like to ask for a date for trial,”
she said. However, counsel for the defendant, Osahor Odemodia, informed the court of the bail application for his client and urged the court to grant her bail on liberal terms, pending the commencement of trial. But Habib opposed the application for bail, informing the court of a counter-affidavit filed on July 10, 2019, and so urged the court to refuse her bail, and instead, give the case accelerated hearing.
The trial judge, thereafter, adjourned to August 21, 2019, and ordered the defendant to be remanded in EFCC custody pending the ruling on the bail application.
