By Miriam Humbe
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on January 28, 2025, re-arraigned one Murtala Adebayo, before Justice R.A. Oshodi of a Special Offences Court, sitting in Ikeja, Lagos for an alleged N19 million fraud.
This was disclosed in a statement signed on Tuesday by EFCC’s Head of Media & Publicity, Dele Oyewale.
Adebayo was initially arraigned before Justice Mojisola Dada on January 24, 2024 on a three-count charge to which he pleaded “not guilty”.
In the course of the trial, a petitioner alleged that the defendant used “phony” Corporate Affairs Commission documents as well as fake tax documents to secure bail from the court.
Subsequently, Justice Dada withdrew from the case and returned the case file to the Chief Judge of the High Court, noting that the allegation cast doubt on the integrity of the Court.
The case was afterwards re-assigned to Justice Oshodi to start de novo.
One of the counts reads: “Murtala Adebayo, sometime in 2015 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N4,500,000 (Four Million Five Hundred Thousand Naira) from one Gafar Abiodun Ademolake by falsely representing to him that the payment was for three plots of land at Ogombo Ajah, Lagos, which representation you knew to be false.”
Another count reads: “Murtala Adebayo, sometime in 2019 at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, obtained three cars, two Toyota Camry 2005 model and one Honda Accord 2006 model all at an agreed value of N9,000,000.00 from one Gafar Abiodun Ademolake by falsely representing to him that the payment was for balance payment of 18 plots of land at Ayogbemi Village, Ibeju, Lekki, Lagos, a representation you knew to be false.”
The defendant, who took his plea in the Yoruba language, pleaded “not guilty” to the three-count charge preferred against him.
The prosecuting counsel, S.M. Yabo prayed the court for a trial date to enable the prosecution to call its witnesses and tender relevant documents to prove the case against him.
Defence counsel, Bamidele Ogundele, urged the court to allow the defendant to enjoy the bail earlier granted Adebayo by Justice Dada.
Prosecution counsel, Marthins Oyigbo, who was given an opportunity to address the court on the plea to adopt the previous bail conditions, raised the issues of the alleged forged documents presented before the previous Court.
He urged the court not to grant bail to the defendant based on the allegations.
After listening to all the submissions, Justice Oshodi granted bail to the defendant in the sum of N5 million with one surety in like sum and a lien of N5,000,000 (Five Million Naira) placed on surety’s personal account.
The Court further ordered that the surety must enroll in surety registration management.
The case was adjourned to March 7, 2025 for trial.
