The court trial of some Ibadan-based bankers, indicted over the theft of N8 billion worth of mutilated banknotes, was yesterday told of the stupendous wealth of the suspects.
The suspects, including a self-acclaimed illiterate bank staff were alleged to have acquired petrol stations, shopping malls in Nigeria and abroad, exotic cars, supermarkets, among others.
Mr. Ayodeji Alase, one of the suspects and a holder of primary six certificate, was alleged to have acquired property including a duplex at Oluyole, a shopping complex, warehouse at Podo, Challenge and a fenced plot at Dugbe in Ibadan.
He was also alleged to own a four flat building at Apete, two plots of land, five-bedroom flat in Apete, Ibadan, a supermarket at New Garage, Apata Expressway.
The other accused persons, Olaniran Muniru Adeola, Ayodele Festus Adeyemi, Isiaq Akano and others were all alleged to own property in South Africa, petrol stations, cement shops, schools, supermarket, exotic cars, buildings in several places.
All the eight accused persons, who were docked were denied bail and were remanded in Agodi Prison pending the determination of the bail applications they had filed.
All the efforts by Mr. Olayemi Fasina, counsel to Alase to present an oral bail application were unsuccessful as the court told him that it would be unfair to hear his oral application when other counsel had filed their applications.
The cases were heard in batches by the court. The first batch of accused persons who were slammed with a 28-count charge, are Kolawole Babalola, Olaniran Adeola, Toogun Phillip, Ayodele Adeyemi, Isiaq Akano, Oyebamiji Akeem, Ayodeji Alase, Ajiwe Sunday Adegoke and Idowu Oguntade, who is still at large. Three officials of the CBN were among the accused while others were from Wema Bank Plc and First Bank Plc.
The three CBN staff, who were docked yesterday also appeared among a new set of accused. They were Toogun Phill, Kolawole Babalola and Olaniran Muniru Adeola.
Rotimi Jacob, SAN, who had a retinue of other counsel held brief for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, which prosecuted the accused persons. (Vanguard Ngr., News Express).