While the tears of pensioners in Oyo state may have led to the uncovering of a looting gang which for years have feasted on pension funds meant for primary school teachers, findings have shown that the radar of Nigeria’s anti-corruption agencies may have been limited in bringing the perpetrators to book. Documents obtained by us indicate that Hakeem Aderemi Muili, the embattled former Executive Secretary, Oyo State Local Government Pension Board, may have used her share of the loot to acquire properties in safe havens outside Nigeria.
Aderemi Muili was one of the Principal suspects arrested in August 2013 as part of a syndicate by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over the stealing of N1.7billion pension funds meant for retirees of Oyo State Primary Schools. Though some of the properties in Nigeria were seized in 2014, after she was arraigned alongside others, Aderemi trying to outsmart Nigerian Anti-graft agencies, employed the services of first-rate real estate agents. These agents helped her move some of the funds offshore as findings reveal that in 2013, the same year she was indicted, she acquired a flat in Al Barsha South Fourth, a luxurious residential area located in the heart of Dubai where most apartments are sold between N130,000,000 to N150,000,000. While the exact payment date was not listed, documents attached to the property as seen by this online news medium showed that the former Oyo State Pencom Secretary acquired the flat using her International Passport as her means of identification.
We further learned that the said passport with number A045495** was issued on 2/7/2013, 38 days after Aderimi Muili celebrated her 49th birthday. Also linked with the property was a contact number +2348074313315, belonging to one Alhaji Muili Omo Ajorosun. It will be recalled that on Thursday, the 22nd day of March 2018, an appeal by Mrs. Aderimi Muili against the ruling of the Oyo State High Court delivered on the 24th day of January 2017 by M. L. Abimbola, C. J. in suit No: I/1EFCC/2014 was dismissed for lack of merit by Haruna Simon Tsammani J.C.A., as the Appeal Court upheld the decision of the lower court to have Mrs. Muili’s properties seized by the EFCC pending the outcome of its investigation.