EFCC arraigns FUTA VC, bursar in ‎Ondo

The embattled Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Prof. Adebiyi Daramola and the bursar of the institution, Mr. Emmanuel Oresegun were on Tuesday arraigned before the Ondo State High Court, Akure, over alleged fraudulent practices.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission arraigned Daramola on a nine-count while Oresegun was arraigned on a two-count. The count charges against the VC included: fraud, obtaining money under false pretence, abuse of office and felony.

The accused persons however pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

During the court hearing, the counsels to the first and second defendants, Mr. Adebayo Adenipekun and Mr. O. Theophilus, appealed to the court to grant the accused persons oral bail but the EFCC’s counsel, Dr. Ben Ubi opposed the bail application, saying the defendants had not presented the written materials for the bail application.

However, after the arguments of both parties had been heard, the presiding judge, Justice Bola Ademola ruled that the accused persons should be granted bail of N10m each with two sureties in like sum. He said the sureties must be professors in the university or a Grade level 17 officer in the civil service.

He also ordered that the accused persons should be remanded in police custody till the perfection of the bail application.

For the past few months the FUTA campus had been hit with crisis between the three labour unions in the varsity and the VC, leading to the academic activities on the campus being paralysed.

The workers, who included members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities and National Association of Academic Technologists, accused Daramola of misappropriating the funds of the university. The unions insisted that the VC would not return to the school after he had been arrested by the EFCC.

It would be recalled that Daramola and Oredegun were invited in 2016 by the anti-graft commission following petitions against them over alleged financial management. They were reported to have been granted an administrative bail by the commission.