EFCC arraigns car dealer, woman for N13.5m fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned a 56-year-old car dealer, Rasaq Abolaji Mumini, and one Lawal Olawande Mariam for allegedly selling a forfeited property without due authorization and obtaining money under false pretense.

Mumini and Mariam were arraigned on two-count charges before Justice Kamorudeen Olawoyin of the Oyo State High Court sitting in Ogbomosho, Oyo State, on Monday, February 5, 2024.February 7, 2024

The EFCC said the defendants allegedly sold a property, which was under attachment by the anti-graft agency without lawful authorization.

The said property, which is a four-bedroom apartment, is situated at Dubere in Ogbomosho, Surulere Local Government Area of Oyo State.

Count one of the charges read: “That you, Rasaq Abolaji, Lawal Olawande Mariam and others still at large sometime in December 2022, at Ogbomosho, Oyo State within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, without due authorization sold a Four Bedroom Apartment situate at Dubere Area of Surulere Local Government Area of Oyo State to Mrs. Felicia Adeyemi at the sum of N13,500,000.00 a property that was subject of attachment by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 32 (1) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act 2004.”

The EFCC said investigations revealed that the second defendant (Mariam), wife of the owner of the property, Adebayo Abiodun, was said to have been introduced to Mumini through a friend with the aim of helping her clean off the anti-graft agency inscription on the property.

The commission stated that it marked the apartment after it discovered that the property was acquired with proceeds of unlawful activities.

It added that further investigations also revealed that the car dealer obtained the sum of N3,050,000 from Mariam under a false presence that the money was demanded by the operatives of the EFCC to clean the commission’s inscription on the four-bedroom apartment.

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges thereby setting the stage for a trial.

Consequently, Justice Olawoyin ordered the remand of the defendants in the custody of the EFCC and adjourned till Monday, February 12, for hearing of their bail applications.