Oluwabukola Odeleye
Justice Nicholas Oweibo of a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Tuesday remanded an Ibadan-based businessman, Oluwabukola Odeleye, in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS), over alleged N816 million fraud and forgery.
Justice Oweibo made the remand order after the businessman pleaded not guilty to the five counts charge of fraud and forgery made against him by the Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU), Lagos.
The businessman was arraigned before the court alongside his company, Beedel Strategic Investment Company Limited on all the counts charges.
Arraigning the businessman in a charge marked FHC/L/342c/2022, the prosecutor, Mr. Emmanuel Jackson, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) told the court that the defendant and company committed the offenses sometimes in 2020 in Lagos.
The prosecutor who is also the Officer-in-Charge of PSFU’s Legal department told the court that the defendant and his company defrauded two companies, Bostocke Close Investment Limited and Ctando Capital Limited, of the, said N186 million, with forged Local Purchase Orders (LPOs) of both multinational firms and local firms.
Among the firms whose LPOs were forged by the defendants are British-American Tobacco Nigeria Limited; Fan Milk Plc; Lafarge Nigeria Limited; National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP); G.R. Building and Constructions Nigeria Limited and GB Foods Nigeria Limited.
The prosecutor also accused the defendant and his company, Beedel Strategic Investment Company Limited of converting a total sum of N816 million to their use and benefit, which they fraudulently obtained by pretenses from Bostocke Close Investment Limited and Otando Capital Limited.
He told the court that the offer nodes committed by the defendant and his company, contravened Sections 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, No. 14 of 2006 but punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act.
He also told the court that the offenses committed by the defendants are contrary to sections 465, and 468 but punishable under section 467 of the Criminal Code, Cap. C.38, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
The businessman however pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Following his plea of not guilty, the prosecutor while asking the court for a trial date, also urged the court to remand the defendant till the conclusion of the charge.
But counsel to the defendant, Barrister Olabiyi Ademola of Adebiyi Ademola J.E. and Coy, while moving his client’s bail application, asked the court to admit him to bail in the most liberal terms.
The council assured the court that his client, being a man of integrity, honored the police invitation when he was invited before he was brought to court. Adding that bail is a constitutional right of his client, who is a first-time offender.
Opposing granting the bail application, the prosecutor told the court that the police filed a 14 paragraph-counter affidavit, which elaborated on how the defendant committed the alleged offenses. He, therefore, urged the court to refuse the bail application.
Justice Oweibo after listening to counsel’s submissions on the bail application granted the defendant bail in the sum of N100m and one surety in like sum.
The judge also ordered that the surety must be a landed property owner within the Court’s jurisdiction, who is also a Grade Level 14 Civil Servant either in Lagos State or Federal Government Establishment, with three years of tax clearance.
The judge adjourned the matter till October 25 and 27, for trial, and ordered that the bail terms be verified by the prosecution and the court’s Registrar and that the defendant be remanded in NCoS’ custody till the perfection of the bail terms.
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