A Lagos Federal High Court has released the embattled Speaker, Ogun State House of Assembly, Olakunle Oluomo, on bail.
The Speaker, Oluomo, the Clerk of the House, Adeyemo Taiwo, and the Director of Finance of the House, Samson Oladayo, on Friday, were released after meeting the bail conditions. The trio had since returned to Abeokuta
The Speaker who arrived at the Assembly complex around 12:18 pm was received by the Deputy Speaker of the House, Akeem Balogun, and a member representing Ewekoro Constituency, Yusuf Amosun.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had dragged the speaker before Justice Daniel Osiagor of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, over a N2.4bn fraud allegation.
Oluomo was arraigned alongside Samuel Oladayo and Taiwo Adeyemo on an 11-count bordering on money laundering to the tune of N2.4bn.
Justice Osiagor, in a short ruling, admitted Oluomo to bail in the sum of N300m and two sureties in like sum.
The second and third defendants were each granted bail in the sum of N100m with two sureties.
The speaker upon his release from the EFCC detention, on Friday went straight to the assembly complex in Abeokuta and was received by members of staff of the Assembly back to the office.
Addressing his staff, Oluomo said that he remained innocent of the charges filed against him by the EFCC.
He said “By law, I am not the accounting officer of the House, for emphasis, the House under my leadership operates only one bank account since 2019, through which running costs and allowances are paid directly into the bank accounts of individual members and staff of the House, including the petitioner.
“Also, charges 10 and 11 were for the Eighth legislature before I became the Speaker.
“I also like to say that the refusal to honour the initial invitation of EFCC was because the method adopted by EFCC was against section 36 of the Constitution and we challenged it in court. But the EFCC refused to wait for the pronouncement in that case before taking further steps, despite having joined issues with us in court.
