Court Grants N10M Bail To Each Defendant In N29.4M Dollar Transfer Fraud Case

The defendants, who were arraigned before Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe, are facing three counts bordering on conspiracy, stealing and obtaining preferred against them by the EFCC.

The anti-graft agency’s prosecuting counsel, B. M. Isha, told the court that the defendants committed the offences sometime in July 2023 in Lagos.

Isha told the court that the trio conspired amongst themselves and fraudulently converted the sum of N29, 386, 500, property of Awolaja Sherri Ajibola and Akintoye Ganiyu, to their use.

The prosecutor said the defendants allegedly defrauded the victims by obtaining the cumulative sum of N29, 386, 500, under the false pretence that they had the dollar equivalent of the said sum at the rate of N750 per dollar to transfer to Copart Auto Auction in America which pretence they knew was false.

According to the prosecutor, the offences committed contravened Sections 411, 280(2), of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2015, 1(1) (a) and 1(3), of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act No. 14 of 2006.

However, the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.

Given their plea, the prosecutor, Isha, prayed to the court for a trial date.

But, counsel for the defendants, S. T. Ladokun, S. A. Oseni and T. F. Makinde, informed the court about the pending applications for bail on behalf of their clients and pleaded with the court to grant them bail in the most liberal terms.

Consequently, Justice Abike-Fadipe granted them bail in the sum of N10, each with two sureties each in like sum.

The judge said the sureties must show evidence of tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

She adjourned the case to January 23, 2025, for the commencement of trial.