An octogenarian, Mr. Fasasi Odubola Adebambo has been docked by a Lagos Federal High Court, on charges bordering on alleged conspiracy and N20.7 million fraud.
The 84 year old suspect was arraigned by men of Police Special Fraud Unit, PSFU, alongside one Ojobaro Lawal Kayode, 53, in a charge marked FHCL/230c/2021.
The duo were arraigned before Justice Akintayo Aluko.
They were alleged to have obtained the said amount from Dr. & Mrs. Mbeledogu, under false pretense of selling to them a property at Maryland area of Lagos State.
According to the PSFU prosecutor, Barrister Henry Obiaze, the two defendants allegedly committed the offences between the months of January and February 2020.
The prosecutor told the court that the offences committed by the defendants are contrary to Section 8 (a) and 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under section 3 of the same Act.
They denied the charges.
Following their plea of not guilty, the prosecutor, Mr. Obiaze asked the court for a trial date.
He also urged the court to remand them in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS) pending the conclusion of the charges against them.
But their counsel, Yinka Farounbi, while not objecting to the trial date as requested by the prosecutor, however, appealed to court not to remand the defendants, due to the age of the first defendant, till when he will file their bail applications.
Farounbi also undertake to produce them in court till the determination of the charges against them.
Ruling on counsel’s submissions, Justice Aluko, granted the defence counsel request and released the two defendants to their lawyer.
The charges against the two defendants read: “that you Fasasi Odubola Adebambo ‘m’ and Ojobaro Lawal Kayode ‘m’ sometimes between the months of Januar -February, 2020 at Maryland within the jurisdiction of this Hon. Court did conspire together to commit felony to wit; Obtaining Money by False Pretences and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 8 (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.
“That you Fasasi Odubola Adebambo ‘m’ and Ojobaro Lawal Kayode ‘m’ sometimes between January-February, 2020 at Maryland within the jurisdiction of this Hon. Court did by False Pretence and with intent to defraud obtain the sum of Twenty Million, Seven Hundred Thousand Naira (N20,700,000.00) from Dr. & Mrs. Mbeledogu on the pretence that you have a property at Maryland which you want to sell them and which you also know to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(a) and punishable under Section 3 of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.”
The matter has been adjourned till June 28, for hearing of their bail applications and trial.
