The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will re-arraign two executives of Covenant Fadama Multi-purpose Cooperative Society, Jos, Okewole Dayo and Bishop Katung Jonas, over an alleged N178.8 million fraud.
The re-arraignment follows the EFCC’s amendment charges against the defendants before the Federal High Court, sitting in Jos, Plateau State, according to a statement from the Commission on Thursday.
The EFCC is prosecuting Dayo, Jonas, and the late Mamman Irmiya Jatau on a 23-count charge, including conspiracy, obtaining by false pretense, and money laundering to the tune of N178,885,000 (One Hundred and Seventy-Eight Million, Eight Hundred and Eighty-Five Thousand Naira).
The duo served as Secretary and Chairman of Covenant Fadama Multi-purpose Cooperative Society.
EFCC Allegations
According to the Commission, the defendants allegedly “lured unsuspecting members of the public to invest in their fraudulent cooperative society and allegedly transferred the proceeds of their crime to various banks, which were later withdrawn through their proxies for the acquisition of properties in Jos and Kaduna.”
The defendants had pleaded not guilty to the charges initially.
What Transpired in Court
At the resumed proceedings, the defense counsel, C.I. Nwogbo and G.G. Aji, told the court that they were served the EFCC’s amended charges and would require time for their clients to study the new charges before responding.
“My Lord, we were only served the amended charge at 9 a.m. today. We believe we ought to have received it earlier so that our clients could review the charges against them. In these circumstances, we are applying for an adjournment to allow the first defendant to study the charges and prepare his response,” he said.
- In response, EFCC counsel Ibrahim Buba explained that the only change in the charges was the removal of Dadin Kowa Microfinance Bank, since its license had been revoked by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
- He stated that the Commission needed to satisfactorily confirm the bank’s status with the apex bank before filing the amendment.
- He maintained that the defendants are familiar with the previous charge, which included the bank, since about two months ago.
“My Lord, the reason for filing the amended charge a day before the scheduled arraignment was that we had to write to the CBN to confirm the status of Dadin Kowa Microfinance Bank, and subsequently amended the charge to remove the bank. Apart from this change, the charges remain largely the same,” he explained.
However, Justice Sharon T. Ishaya ruled that arraignment is an integral part of a fair trial and that the defendants must be given adequate time to prepare their defense in light of the EFCC’s amended charges.
The judge adjourned the case until May 29 and 30, 2025, for re-arraignment and the commencement of the trial.
