An Omu-Aran Upper Area Court in Kwara State, yesterday, granted N1 million bail to three accused charged with theft of N8.8 million cooperative funds. The accused - Sola Adewumi, Modupe Awotayo and Oyeyipo Sunday - were also granted two sureties each in like sum.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy and theft. The court also ordered them to report daily for one month at the office of the Omu-Aran Unit of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps. Adewumi and Awotayo had been remanded in prisons on their first arraignment on April 19 as their bail applications were refused.

The court then issued a warrant of arrest on the third accused, Sunday. The judge, Mr. U.A. Abolarin, while ruling on the bail applications of the accused, said the court was constrained by the huge amount involved, but only tempered justice with mercy in granting them bail. "Although the court is constrained in exercising its discretion in granting bail to the accused persons due to huge amount involved.

"The court is, however, tempering justice with mercy as bail is not meant to be punitive. 2Each of the accused persons is hereby admitted to a bail in the sum N1 million with two sureties each in like sum," Abolarin said. He adjourned the case to May 17 for further hearing. Earlier, the prosecutor had told the court that the accused stole the amount belonging to the Cooperative Thrift and Credit Society, CTCS, Irepodun Local Government Chapter in Kwara.

The offences contravened Sections 16, 17, 286, 311 and 320 of the Penal Code, Laws of the Federation. The CTCS had petitioned, seeking the prosecution of Adewunmi and Oyeyipo, both staff of Irepodun Local Government and Awotayo an employee of the CTCS, for stealing the money.