EFCC arraigns 79-year-old for fraud

A 79-year-old man, Clement John Adiamiko Uwemedimo aka 'Professor' and his alleged accomplice, Prince Ajamu Sunday Adedayo, were, on Wednesday, arraigned before Justice Habeeb Abiru of Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on charges of fraud.The duo were arraigned alongside their company, Command Clem Nigeria Limited, on a 32-count charge bordering on obtaining money under false pretence but both pleaded not guilty to the offences when the charges were read to them.Consequently, their counsel, Jeese Daniels Onuigbo, applied for his clients' bail, asking the court to take into consideration the constitutional rights of the defendants based on presumption of innocence until proven guilty. 'My lord, with this application, we are relying on the provisions of Section 35 (1) and Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. And also we base it on the jurisdiction of this court. We urge the court to grant our prayers by granting the accused bail. We also pray that the conditions will be on the most liberal term,' he said.In reply to the application, Ben Ubi, counsel for the EFCC, told the court that he was only handed the application for bail by the defence counsel in court, but would not oppose the application, as bail was solely at the discretion of the court.He, however, urged the court to impose conditions that would ensure the defendants were present in court for trial throughout.'Although I was served the bail application this morning in court, I managed to read through it, and in the interest of justice, I will want the court to use its power of jurisdiction, but I pray the court to attach conditions that will ensure that the accused are present for trial,' he said.
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