Justice Oluremi Oguntoyinbo of the Federal High Court in Lagos yesterday remanded Nigerian film maker, Olajide Oluwaseun Kazeem, better known as Seun Egbegbe in prison custody over an alleged frauds involving N39, 098,100, $90,000 and £12,550.
The judge gave the order after he was arraigned before her by men of State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) of Lagos State Police Command, Panti-Yaba alongside his alleged accomplice, Oyekan Ayomide on 36 count charge of conspiracy and fraud.
The two accused persons were alleged by the police to have conspired to perpetrate the frauds between 2015 and 2017.
According to the police the duo allegedly defrauded no fewer than 30 Bureau de Change operators in Lagos between 2015 and February 2017, mostly by falsely representing to the victims they had foreign currencies to sell to the BDC operators.
The police further alleged that on February 2, 2017, Egbegbe and Ayomide fraudulently obtained the sums of N2.45m and £,3,000 from one Alhaji Isa Adamu in Lagos under the guise that they wanted to see the naira and buy the pounds.
Other victims of the alleged frauds allegedly perpetuated by Egbegbe were Mohammed Sanni, who was allegedly defrauded of N2.46m on 2017 New Year day; Jubrila Ado, allegedly defrauded of N1.257m on September 9, 2016; Hassan Amodu, allegedly defrauded of N600,000 in January 2016; Sanni Hassan, defrauded off N1.43 and £2,750 in August 2015; Saidi Abdullahi, defrauded of N700,000 on April 18, 2016; Atairu Abdullaahi, defrauded of N1m on June 23, 2016; and Abdullahi Babadisa, defrauded of N650,000 in January 2016.
Others were Abdurawan Hassan who allegedly lost N1.46m to Egbede on January 1, 2017; Suraju Garuba, who lost N850,000 in July 2016; Abdullahi Mumini, who lost N2.15m in September 2016; Garuba Hassan, who lost N700,000 on January 10, 2016 and Sanni Mohammed, who lost N1.89m on January 29, 2017.
Also allegedly swindled by Egbegbe were Barowo Abdullahi, who lost N2.6m; Yahu Alidu, who lost N1.75m; Tairu Musa, who lost N2m; Mohammed Bello, who lost $300; Mohammed Usman, N450,500; Suleiman Shehu, who lost N1.276m; Ahmadu Abda, who lost N2m; Nairu Musa, who lost N1.007m; Sanni Mohammed, who lost N1.6m and $3,000.
Others were Umaru Haruna, who lost N1.7m; Abubakar Musa, who lost $4,000; Abdulrasaq Sanni, who lost N1.7m; Abdullahi Babatunde, who lost N2.77m; among others.
The police prosecutor, who signed the charge sheet, who heads the SCIID’s head of legal department, Effiong Asuquo claimed that Egbegbe and Ayomide acted contrary to Section 8 of the Addvance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006 and were liable to be punished under Section 1(3) of the same.
However, when the 36 counts were read to the accused persons, they both pleaded not guilty.
After the arraignment, the prosecuting counsel for the police, Innocent Anyigor, urged the court to order the remand of the defendants in the prison custody and to fix a day for trial.
But the defence lawyer, Mrs. Ayo Gbadamosi, informed the court that she intended to file bail applications on behalf of Egbegbe and Ayomide.
Justice Oguntoyinbo ordered that the defendants should be remanded in the prison custody pending the hearing and determination of their bail applications and adjourned till March 24, 2017 for commencement of trial.
