Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
In a major anti‑graft action, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned three Indian nationals alongside a Nigerian before the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin in connection with an alleged criminal breach of trust involving property belonging to a steel manufacturing firm. The defendants were brought before Justice Sulaiman Akanbi on Wednesday, 17 December 2025, and face a two‑count charge that includes conspiracy and criminal breach of trust under Sections 97 and 314 of the Penal Code.
The accused — Lalit Sarwat, Ravi Raghavendra, and Gagan Sarswat, all Indian nationals, together with Oniyide Samuel, a dispatch manager based in Ilorin, were arraigned following investigations by the EFCC’s Ilorin Zonal Directorate. Prosecutors allege that the quartet, all employees of KAM Steel Integrated Company Limited, conspired over an extended period between November 2024 and September 2025 to misappropriate and unlawfully convert steel products entrusted to them as part of their official duties.
The first count of the charge, as outlined by the EFCC, accuses the defendants of agreeing among themselves to commit criminal breach of trust while in the employment of the company, an act the anti‑graft agency says was designed to benefit them unlawfully at the expense of their employer. The second count reportedly states that in their capacity as custodians of company property — specifically steel rebars — they dishonestly misappropriated those goods, constituting criminal breach of trust.
When the charges were read in open court, all four defendants pleaded not guilty. The EFCC’s counsel, Cosmas Ugwu, subsequently applied for the remand of the defendants in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service pending the trial, arguing that the seriousness of the offences warranted continued detention. Defence lawyers for the accused — including Ademuyiwa Abe, S. J. Ochai, and D. M. Ayuba — countered with bail applications, asserting that the charges are bailable under the law and urging the court to release their clients.
In opposing the bail request, the EFCC maintained that the three foreign defendants pose a flight risk, given their non‑citizen status, and urged the Court to refuse bail and instead grant an accelerated hearing of the matter. After listening to submissions from both sides, Justice Akanbi adjourned the case to Friday, 19 December 2025, for a ruling on the bail applications and ordered that the defendants remain in custody pending that decision.
The arraignment underscores ongoing efforts by the EFCC to tackle offences involving the misappropriation of company assets and breaches of trust by corporate personnel, particularly in cases where significant property values are alleged to be diverted or misused. As the criminal process unfolds in Ilorin, attention will now turn to the court’s ruling on bail and the next procedural steps toward trial.
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