EFCC Arraigns Alleged Illegal Polytechnic Operator in Ekiti

Johnson Babatola

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibadan Zonal Office on Monday arraigned in a Federal High Court, Ado-Ekiti an alleged illegal polytechnic operator.

The alleged illegal operator, Johnson Babatola was arraigned before Justice Taiwo Taiwo on a 7-count charge bordering on Advance fee fraud and operation of illegal Polytechnic.

Babatola, a former Principal Manager of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Ado-Ekiti branch
pleaded not guilty to the charges

The EFCC said that the suspect was arrested following a petition from the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) in Kaduna, alleging that he was operating an illegal Polytechnic named Teedek Polytechnic at Ilogbo, Ekiti State.

The board said that the accused had allegedly extorted gullible students, who were not aware of the status of the institution.

The petitioner further alleged that some of the students of the Polytechnic had earlier reported the institution to the board and they had published the school as an illegal institution in some National Dailies.

It said that the accused failed to stop the fraudulent act and as such continued to fleece innocent students through the Polytechnic.

The petitioner said that Babatola had sometime between the month of August 2013 and March 2015 intended to defraud Adakeja Thomas Olusola at Ilogbo Ekiti within the jurisdiction of the court.

The accused had intended obtaining the sum of N118,000 from Adakeja, having falsely represented that the money was tuition fees.

It said that the accused had told the victim that money was for the award of National Diploma Certificate by Teedek Polytechnic.

The offence contravened section 1 and punishable under section 1 (3) of the “Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006”.

His counsel, Clatus Nachata, applied for his bail, which the prosecuting counsel, Sanusi Galadanchi, opposed

The Judge after listening to the argument of both counsels, granted bail to the accused in the sum of N2 million with two sureties in like sum.

Taiwo said that one of the sureties must be the traditional ruler of Ilogbo-Ekiti and the second surety must be one of those sureties during the administrative bail earlier granted him by the EFCC.

He said that both sureties shall depose to an affidavit of means and all the documents verified by the EFCC during his administrative bail shall be deposited with the registrar of the court.

The accused person shall deposit his international passport with the court and be remanded in prison custody pending the perfection of his bail conditions.

Taiwo adjourned the case till October 18, October 24 and October 27 for hearing.