A High Court
The Federal High Court in Lagos, on Tuesday, fixed June 26, 2024, for the arraignment of a Lagos monarch, Monsuru Abimbola Oladega, and six others over alleged N29.3m fraud.
Other defendants in the charge marked FHC/L/80c/2024 are Abdulfatai Akinwale Bankole, Abubakar Seriki, Razak Alayaki Seriki, Mrs Jemilatu Busari, Amoda Ibrahim and Adams Adebiyi.
The defendants will be arraigned on four counts bordering on conspiracy, obtaining, fraud, and retaining preferred against them by the Police Special Fraud Unit.
The monarch and other defendants’ arraignment was initially scheduled for Tuesday, but when the matter was called, the defendants’ counsel, Abayomi Fagbayi, told the court that it’s only the first defendant (Abdulfatai Akinwale Bankole) who had been served with the charge.
Fagbayi told Justice Akintayo Aluko that he was informed by the first defendant that the second defendant (Monsuru Abimbola Oladega) travelled abroad for a medical check-up and that the rest were not residing within the community.
The defendants’ counsel then asked the court for an adjournment to enable them to take their plea on the next date.
He said, “Even though they told me that they would come together and discuss the charge, I’ll bring them to court on the next adjourned date.”
Prosecution counsel, Elliot Ejie, who announced his appearance for the complainant, the Inspector-General of Police, did not oppose the adjournment request of the defence counsel.
Consequently, Justice Aluko adjourned the matter to June 26, for the arraignment of all the defendants.
The police in the charge alleged that the defendants had between 2014 and 2022 conspired among themselves and fraudulently obtained the sum of N29.3m.
The police said they also obtained vehicles such as 1998 model Infinity QS4 Jeep, one 1998 model Nissan Pathfinder Jeep, and one Toyota Camry car, properties of one Joseph Fagbamila, Olaniyi Owoyomi, and the Amicable Friends Estate, under the pretence of allocating 15 acres and four plots of Odoyi’s family land, situate at Oko-Agbon, Agboyi 1, Lagos State to them.
Before Tuesday’s proceedings and due to the inability of the police to reach the defendants for the service of the charge, Justice Aluko had on March 18, 2024, ordered that the charge be served on their lawyer, Abayomi Fagbayi.