One Mr Adeola Adeyanju, a lawyer, has been arrested by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for allegedly defrauding the Federal Government of N928 million.

The ICPC on Tuesday, disclosed this in Lagos in its recent in-house news bulletin, where it said that the suspect defrauded the Federal Government of the said amount.

The bulletin reads:

“The suspect allegedly forged the payment mandate of the Ministry of Environment and moved the said amount from First City Monument Bank where the money had been domiciled with his Zenith Bank’s personal account.

“Adeyanju moved the money to a Bureau de Change’s account on the same day the money hit his account, and the money was converted and paid to him in dollars.”

The bulletin further revealed that the suspect’s counsel, Mr Onyechi Ikpeazu, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), had earlier sought for the enforcement of his client’s fundamental human rights from an Abuja High Court with an application for bail award of N100 million as damages.

According to the anti-graft bulletin, Ikpeazu claimed that the suspect was suffering from a strangulated hernia and the detention of his client was a violation of his human rights.

Also, the bulletin said the Commission’s counsel, Mr Osuobeni Akpors, who opposed the bail application, noted that the suspect had allegedly been a serial offender and that if granted bail, might abscond.

Akpors further stated that the suspect had earlier been allegedly convicted in another High Court in a suit number FCT/CR/14/04, stressing that he had shown no sign of repentance.

The Commission, however, noted that based on the facts before the trial judge, the suspect was denied bail.