A retired Permanent Secretary in the Ekiti State Civil Service, Mr. Babatunde Alokan, has been arraigned before a Magistrates’ Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti for allegedly absconding with an official vehicle belonging to the Ekiti State Government.
The arraignment, which took place on Tuesday, follows allegations that Alokan, who officially retired from service in 2024, failed to return a government-owned vehicle assigned to him prior to his exit from public service.
The Prosecutor, Mr. Oriyomi Akinwale, told the court that Alokan was arrested and detained after he failed to produce the vehicle despite several requests. He was subsequently brought before the court on Thursday, April 17.
Presiding over the case, Chief Magistrate Abayomi Adeosun of Court 1 granted the defendant bail in the sum of N1 million with one surety in like sum.
The surety is required to be a top-ranking civil servant within the Ado-Ekiti Magisterial district, possess a landed property with a Certificate of Occupancy, and present evidence of one year’s tax clearance.
However, Alokan was unable to meet the bail conditions and was consequently remanded in a custodial facility along Afao-Ekiti Road throughout the Easter celebrations.
The matter has been adjourned until May 9, 2025, for hearing.
Meanwhile, Alokan’s wife was spotted on the court premises on Tuesday, April 22, but declined to comment on whether the bail conditions had been met.
It would be recalled that Alokan was among five senior civil servants reinstated in 2018 by former Governor Kayode Fayemi.
They had earlier been retired under the administration of former Governor Ayodele Fayose, but were reinstated following a petition to the National Human Rights Commission, which found that they had been unjustly treated.
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