Twin brothers, Taiwo and Kehinde Akintade, 34, and six others, were yesterday arraigned before a Lagos Magistrate’s Court, sitting at Igbosere, over alleged diversion of cashew nuts worth N31,788,000,040. The twins were arraigned alongside Jelili Elo, 35; Adeshina Sikiru, 32; Sadiq Morufu; Femi Adegboyega, 27; Dada Ishola, 32, and Mohammed Yunusa, 28. The defendants, who are facing two count charges of conspiracy and unlawful diversion, were docked before Chief Magistrate Afolashade Botoku. The prosecuting counsel, Morufu Animashaun, told the court that the defendants committed the offences on March 20, at Isolo area of the state, where they were working for the complainant, Mr. Jamiu Oke. He said: “Upon discovery of the missing nuts, the complainant wrote a petition to the Commissioner in Charge of FCIID, Mr. Hamed Mogaji, who ordered investigation into the petition. “At the completion of the investigation, all the defendants were found culpable of the alleged offences and were subsequently brought before the court on the two-count charge.” Animashaun said the offence is contrary to and punishable under Sections 411 and 287(5) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015. However, the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them by the Police. Following their plea of not guilty, their lawyer, Mr. M. A. Popoola, urged the court to admit them to bail in the most liberal terms, adding that his clients have responsible sureties, and that they would not jump bail. The prosecutor, in his response, said granting bail to defendants is at court’s discretion. He, however, stated that if the court is mindful of admitting bail to the defendants, it should be with the terms that will ensure the attendance of the defendants in court for their trial. Ruling on the submissions of the parties, Chief Magistrate Botoku admitted bail to defendants in the sum of N2 million each, with two responsible sureties each in like sum. Botoku ordered that the sureties show evidence of three years tax payment to the Lagos State Government, and have their residences and means of livelihood verified by the prosecutor. While adjourning the matter till September 4 for trial, she ordered that the defendants be remanded in prison custody, pending the fulfillment of their bail terms.

http://www.akelicious.net/2018/08/twin-brothers-6-others-docked-over.html