Police Amends Fraud Charges Against Nollywood Producer, Egbegbe, 4 Others
The Police in Lagos yesterday amended the fraud charge against Nollywood producer, Olajide Kazeem, also known as Seun Egbegbe, who was docked before the Federal High Court, Lagos on a 40 count bordering on serial frauds .
The police had first arraigned Egbegbe before Justice Oluremi Oguntoyinbo on February 10, alongside one Oyekan Ayomide over alleged conspiracy and fraud involving N39, 098,100, $90,000 and £12,550.
But during Mondays proceedings three other accused persons: Lawal Kazeem, Olalekan Yusuf and Muyideen Shoyombo were added to the amended charge.
While the name Egbegbe reflected in all the 40 count charge, those of the second to fifth accused persons only reflected in count one and two.
They were accused of swindling more than 30 Bureau De Change (BDC) operators of various sums both in local and foreign currencies between 2015 and 2017 in Lagos.
All the accused persons, however, pleaded not guilty .
In the charge, marked FHC/L/40c/2017, Egbegbe and others were accused of defrauding the BDC operators mostly by falsely representing to the victims that they had foreign currencies to sell to the BDC operators.
The police alleged, for instance, that on February 2, 2017, Egbegbe and Ayomide fraudulently obtained the sums of N2.45 million and £,3,000 from one Alhaji Isa Adamu in Lagos under the guise that they wanted to see the naira and buy the pounds.
The other victims of the alleged frauds by Egbede 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 Abdullahi, 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.
According to the police the offence of the accused were contrary to Section 8 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006 and were liable to be punished under Section 1(3) of the same.
Justice Oguntoyinbo has fixed April 26, for trial and hearing of the bail applications of the accused persons.
