Date: 2018-04-18

The Kwara State High Court in Ilorin has ordered that a former Chairman of the Governing Council of Kwara State Polytechnic, Dr Saadu Alanamu, be remanded in prison.

Justice Mahmud Gafar gave the order following the arraignment of Dr Alanamu by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

In a statement by the ICPC spokesperson Ms Rasheedat Okoduwa on Wednesday, the former chairman was charged along with the Chief Executive Director of Namylas Nig. Ltd., Salman Sulaiman, for allegedly collecting bribe from a contractor.

In the course of the trial, the defence counsel alleged that the accused was "forced, harassed, intimidated and coerced" into making his statement to the commission's investigators and, therefore, the statement should not be admitted in evidence.

Justice Gafar consequently ordered a trial-within-trial, which commenced the same day, noting that it was for the court to determine whether the statement was made voluntarily or not.

While delivering his ruling on the trial-within-trial, the judge overruled the objection of the defence and admitted the first defendant's confessional statement in evidence.

Justice Gafar also revoked the bail of Dr Alanamu for abuse of bail conditions.