The signs are that it may not be a merry Christmas for former governor of Oyo State, Senator Rashidi Ladoja as Justice Mohammed Idris of a Federal High Court in Lagos has fixed December 14, 2016 for his re-arraignment.
Ladoja, who was accused of N4.7bn fraud, is to be re-arraigned alongside Waheed Akanbi.
Justice Idris fixed the date of re-arraignment on Friday after dismissing their application (Ladoja and Akanbi were present in court) seeking a stay of proceedings pending their appeal at the Supreme Court.
However, Justice Idris thwarted the desire of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission of having both men rearrested forthwith as he declined issuing a warrant for their arrest.
“The court will not make any order for arrest in the light of the appearance of the accused persons in court,” the judge said.
Both men were first arraigned in 2008. They had challenged the competence of the charges filed against them by the EFCC and the matter went all the way to the Supreme Court.
But the apex court on April 15, 2015 threw away their appeal as incompetent, pursuant to the provisions of Order 6 Rule 3(2) of the Supreme Court Rules 1999.
Consequent upon the dismissal of the appeal, the EFCC moved switfly and re-opened the case before Justice Idris.
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