By Ken Afor
Olu Agunloye, a former Minister of Power and Steel, as well as ex-Minister of State for Defence, has been released by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The ex-minister was previously apprehended and held in custody for suspected involvement in official corruption and forgery amounting to N6 billion related to the Mambilla Power Project.
Agunloye was released by the anti-graft agency to Adeola Adedipe, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, at approximately 3.30 p.m. on Wednesday, according to PUNCH.
His release was confirmed by Dele Oyewale, the spokesperson for the EFCC, on Wednesday.
“Yes, you’re right, Mr. Agunloye has been released by the commission,” Oyewale confirmed.
TheNewDiplomat recalls that on Wednesday, December 13, the former Minister was arrested by the EFCC after obtaining an arrest warrant.
According to insiders from the EFCC, it has been revealed that Agunloye is scheduled to face trial in January 2024. The charges against him include allegations of official corruption and forgery amounting to N6 billion.
Agunloye served as a minister during the tenure of former President Olusegun Obasanjo from 1999 to 2003.
Agunloye has been at the forefront of the Mambilla project controversy, sparking widespread debate.
Obasanjo accused him of unlawfully granting the project’s contract without the approval of the Federal Executive Council.
However, Agunloye has vehemently refuted these allegations.
