For allegedly defrauding a Chartered Accountant, Albert Olaniyl Folorunsho, of a sum to the tune of N5.2 million, a 35-year-old United Arab Emirates-based marketer, Jamiu Adewale, was on Tuesday arraigned before a Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos State, presided over by Justice Akintayo Aluko.
The marketer was dragged before the court on a six count-charge of conspiracy, obtaining by false pretence, threatening and cybercrime by the Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU), Ikoyi-Lagos.
Arraigning the defendant, the prosecutor, Mr Henry Obiaze, told the court that the defendant committed the offences between January and March 2021.
Obiaze told Justice Aluko that the defendant and his accomplice, a 21-year-old Thelma Clement Etimita, (now at large) had between the said months fraudulently obtained the mentioned sum in the four tranches of N520,000, N2 million; N1 million and N1.5 million.
The defendant and his accomplice were also alleged to have threatened the fraud victim through a text message of exposing him to the public if he refused and failed to pay them N10million.
The offences, according to Mr Obiaze, are contrary to and punishable under sections 8(a); 1(1)(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, and section 24(2) (a) (c) (i) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015.
But the defendant denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Following his plea of not guilty, the prosecutor, Mr Obiaze, asked the court for a trial date, while also urging the court to remand him in the facility of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS) till the perfection of the bail terms.
However, the defendant’s counsel, Mr Taofeek Adeleke, urged the court to grant bail to his client in liberal terms, adding that the defendant’s father-in-law is a retired Grade Level 17 officer, who is ready to take him on bail.
Ruling on the bail application, Justice Aluko granted bail to the defendant in the sum of N10m, with one surety.
The judge held that the surety could be a landed property owner within the court’s jurisdiction or Grade Level 16 officer in either federal or Lagos State government establishment.
He also ordered the defendant to surrender his international passport with the court Registrar.
The judge, while ordering that the defendant be remanded in the Correctional Services till the perfection of bail terms, adjourned till October 21, for trial.
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