Bankole, Nafada Docked

Soon after he was granted bail by Justice Donatus Okorowo of a Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday, former Speaker of House of Representatives, Mr. Dimeji Bankole was re-arrested and docked before Justice S. I. Belgore of an Abuja High Court alongside his former deputy, Usman Bayero Nafada.

Both former principal officers of the House of Representatives were arraigned on a 17-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust by agreeing to approve the allowances and/or “running costs” of members of the House of Representatives in violation of the approved Remuneration Package for Political, Public and Judicial Office Holders by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission and the extant Revised Financial Regulations of the Federal Government of Nigeria, 2009 and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 97(1) of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (Abuja) 1990 and punishable under Section 315 of the same Penal Code Act.

They were alleged to have dishonestly used the House of Representatives’ account with United Bank for Africa Plc with Account number 00390070000018 being entrusted in their care to obtain a loan of N10.3 billion from the United Bank for Africa, Plc, purporting to use same to augment allowances and “running costs” of members of the House of Representatives in violation of the extant Revised Financial Regulations of the Federal Government of Nigeria, 2009

They were also alleged to have used the same account to obtain another loan of N4,05 billion from United Bank for Africa, Plc, to augment allowances and “running costs” of Members of the House of Representatives in violation of the extant Revised Financial Regulations of the Federal Government of Nigeria thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 311 of the Penal Code Act, Cap 532, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (Abuja) 1990 and punishable under Section 315 of the same Penal Code Act.

The duo were also alleged to have dishonestly obtained another loan of N12 billion from First Bank of Nigeria, Plc, to augment allowances of House members.

Bankole and Nafada both pleaded not guilty of all the 17-count charge before the presiding judge adjourned till Thursday for their bail application to be heard.

They were ordered to be remanded in EFCC’s custody.
By Nnamdi Felix/Abuja