Trial of a former staff of The Punch Nigeria Limited, Olusegun Ogunbanjo has been fixed for October 16, 2024 for alleged N998 million stationeries fraud.
The date was fixed following his arraignment on Thursday before Justice Ismail Ijelu of the Special Offences Court, Ikeja on an eight-count charge offence bordering on fraud.
He is also charged for an additional five thousand dollars fraud.
The defendant and Olawunmi Ogunbanjo, Vaneloo International Limited, Valeco Global Ventures, Bagco Garba, Taofeek Ogunbanjo, Ifeanyi Odogwu, Bound Media Limited, and Godwin Benson are charged with alleged N998 million fraud.
Lagos State vs. former Punch staff
Olusegun Ogunbanjo and other defendants are being prosecuted by Lagos State Government in the suit numbered ID/21559C/2023.
The defendant had been remanded on Wednesday in the custodial facility of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Kirikiri, following his arrest by the Department of State Services on June 14, after the judge issued a bench warrant on March 28, because he failed to appear in court.
When brought to court on Thursday, June 20 from the custodial facility, the defendant was arraigned, but he pleaded not guilty to to the eight-count charges read to him.
Thereafter, the State Prosecution Counsel, Q.T Shomade, asked the judge for a trial date.
The Defence Counsel, S. E Okeke, however informed the judge that he was just getting into the matter, he pleaded for a short date to enable him to file an application for bail on behalf of the defendant.
Subsequently, Justice Ijelu stated that the defendant’s lawyer had nothing before the court to warrant him being attended to.
Then, he directed that Ogunbanjo should remain in Kirikiri pending when his bail application would be ready and entertained by the court.
Addressing the court, Okeke said, “My lord, I would plead for a closer date to tender an application to grant the defendant bail.”
After listening to his plea, the court in a short ruling stated that the first defendant who pleaded not guilty should be remanded.
“If you had your application we would have looked into it but while we wait for it, the defendant should be remanded at the correctional facility for trial.
The charge against former punch staff
Trouble began for Ogunbanjo when he was arraigned at the Magistrate Court by the Nigeria Police Force, NPF on March 8, 2023, on three counts bordering on obtaining money by false pretence, forgery and stealing.
The police had specifically accused Ogunbanjo of committing the alleged offence between January 2017 and December 2022 in the Ikorodu area of the state.
Ogunbanjo was alleged to have obtained N450m from one Olusola lkuyajesin and N500m from one Durodola Balogun under the pretence of using the money to buy stationeries.
He was alledged of forging the organisation’s Local Purchase Orders, LPO, to carry out the acts.
According to the prosecution, the offence contravened Sections 411(2) 285, 287, 314, and 365 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2015.
