Peter Onoja, a former member of the National Union of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employees (NUFBTE), has been remanded in custody on Thursday by an Ikeja Special Offenses Court for allegedly stealing N72.5 million from the union.
Onoja is facing a six-count charge bothering on stealing, contrary to Section 287 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2011.
Prior to the submission and hearing of his bail plea, Justice Mojisola Dada remanded the defendant in any jail of his choosing.
Dada postponed the case until January 24 so that the trial could start and the bail application could be heard.
Mrs. Anita Imo, a lawyer for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), said that the defendant had fraudulently transferred N72.5 million in NUFBTE property for his own use.
Imo informed the court that the offences were committed by the defendant in Lagos between February 2015 and August 2020.
However, the defendant entered a not guilty plea to the accusations.
The prosecution requested that the court remand the defendant in a detention facility until the start of the trial after the defendant entered a plea of not guilty.
“In view of the not guilty plea of the defendant, we shall be asking for a trial date and we urge the court that the defendant be remanded, my lord’’, the prosecutor said.
However, Mr. Paul Okwoi, the defence attorney, informed the court that the defence attorney was unable to submit his bail application due to a mistake in it.
Nevertheless, Okwoi requested two days in December for the defence attorney to submit his bail application.
