Justice R.A. Osodi of the Special Offences Court
sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, on Thursday, December 19, 2024, dismissed an
application by the defence counsel seeking a stay of proceedings in the
ongoing trial of seven suspects over an alleged £1m fraud.
The Lagos Directorate of the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission, EFCC, had on February 3, 2022 arraigned Morufu Adewale,
(a.k.a Gbegunleri Adelana), Abayomi Alaka(a.k.a. Dauda Usman Alashe), Omitogun
Ajayi and Ajisegiri Abiodun before Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Special
Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos.
Three of the defendants, Taiwo Ahmed, Raufu Raheem and
Sanlabiu Teslim, had initially been listed to be at large.
However, the trial could not be concluded before the
retirement of Justice Taiwo.
This, therefore, prompted the re-assignment of the
case file to Justice Oshodi, even as the EFCC intensified its efforts to secure
the arrest of the other suspected fraudsters.
Subsequently, all the seven defendants were in
December 2022 re-arraigned on an amended three-count charge.
The offences border on obtaining money by false
pretence, contrary to Section 1(1)(a) and 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and
Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006, and conspiracy to obtain money by false
pretence contrary to Section 410 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011.
Count one reads: "Morufu Yahaya Adewale, Omitogun
Ajayi, Ajisegiri Abiodun, Abayomi Kamaldeen Alaka, Taiwo Olamilekan Ahmed,
Raufu Wale Raheem and Sanlabiu Owolabi Teslim between May and July 2018 at
Lagos within the Ikeja Judicial Division obtained the total sum of
£1,000,000.00 (One Million GBP) from Dr. and Dr. (Mrs) Lateef Oladimeji Bello
for the purpose of conducting prayers for spiritual cleansing of the family and
that the money will be refunded after the prayers within one week, which pretence
you knew to be false."
Count three reads: "Morufu Yahaya Adewale,
Omitogun Ajayi, Ajisegiri Abiodun, Abayomi Kamaldeen Alaka, Taiwo Olamilekan
Ahmed, Raufu Wale Raheem and Sanlabiu Owolabi Teslim between August and
September 2018 at Lagos within the Ikeja Judicial Division obtained the total
sum of N175,000,000.00 (One Hundred and Seventy-five Million Naira only) from
Dr. and Dr. (Mrs) Lateef Oladimeji Bello for the purpose of conducting
spiritual prayers for spiritual cleansing of their son and the family and that
the money will be refunded one week after the prayers which pretence you knew
to be false."
They pleaded "not guilty" to the
charges.
At a sitting on September 23, 2024, prosecution
counsel, N.K. Ukoha, had sought to tender in evidence a flash drive through the
sixth witness, Giwa Wasiu, an Assistant Superintendent of the Police,
ASP, who had told Justice Osodi how the sixth defendant was apprehended in the
Ikorodu area of Lagos.
He had testified that the sixth defendant, in the said
video, confessed that he and some others duped one Dr. (Mrs.) Bello of the sum
of N675 million. He had also testified that the said video contained in the
flash drive was handed over to the EFCC.
However, when Ukoha sought to tender the flash drive
as evidence, the defence team led by Olalekan Ojo, SAN had raised an objection
, thereby prompting the court to adjourn till Friday, October 11, 2024 for
ruling.
In his ruling on October 11, 2024 , Justice Oshodi had
overruled the objection by the fourth defendant and admitted the flash
drive containing the video recording of the sixth defendant in evidence as
Exhibit E.
The Judge had also adjourned till December 19, 2024
for the defence counsel to cross-examine the witness, Wasiu.
However, counsel to the fifth defendant, Tunde
Ojehomon, brought an application seeking a stay of proceedings in the trial
pending the determination of the substantive suit.
Other defence counsel allied with
Ojehomon’s argument, and also urged the court to determine their pending
applications before further hearing in the matter.
Justice Oshodi , however, overruled their
applications; hence the proceedings continued with the cross-examination of the
witness.
Thereafter, the prosecution applied that the video
clip of the confessional statement be played in the open court, which was
granted by the court.
The case was adjourned till January 6, 2025 for
continuation of trial.
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