Court remands surety over suspect’s disappearance

JUSTICE Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, Lagos had ordered the prison remand of one Adeleye Oduniyi who stood surety for a dismissed police officer, Victor Banor.

Justice Abang ordered the prison remand of Oduniyi, following the failure of Banor to appear in court to attend his trial.

Banor is being tried for allegedly impersonating five Commissioners of Police and diverting the salaries of various policemen to the tune of N20m after his dismissal from the Force.

The police prosecutor, Mr. Justin Enang, had told the court that Banor had jumped the bail in the sum of N20 million granted him on May 15, 2015.

The bail was with two sureties in the sum of N10m each.

Abang, who had earlier issued a bench warrant against Banor, ordered Oduniyi to be remanded in prison custody in line with the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015.

In the charge against Banor, the police alleged that he stole a vehicle kept at a Police station as an exhibit in a criminal matter under investigation while he was serving at the Umunede Police Division in Delta State.

According to Enang, Banor was dismissed from the Force after the alleged stealing but he allegedly went on to impersonate four Commissioners of Police, including that of Enugu, Lagos, Kogi and Awka after his dismissal from the Force.

Banor was also charged with the offences of forgery and illegal possession of firearms.

In a counter-affidavit to a fundamental rights enforcement suit earlier filed by Banor against the police, Enang had alleged that Banor diverted salaries of various policemen running into N20m.

Enang had said, “After the Officer-in-Charge of the command’s Mechanised Salary Section retired, the applicant assumed office as the O/C MSS. 

“It was while holding this position that in March 2011, he allegedly absconded with the money.

“While absconding from office, the applicant dropped a note stating that nobody should look for him because he had resigned to join his militant groups at the creeks of the Niger Delta region.