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EFCC arraigns Oyo traditional ruler over alleged fraud

The Ibadan Zonal Command of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), has arrested 82-year-old Chief Olagoke Samson Amoo-Onidundu for alleged land fraud.

The traditional ruler was arraigned before Justice Iyabo Yerima of the Oyo State High Court on Tuesday, July 27.

Chief Amoo-Onidundu, who claims to be the Baale of Onidundu area of Akinyele in Oyo state, was charged for allegedly obtaining the sum of two million Naira from Oluwagbemi Ashaolu under false pretense.

A statement by EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren, said that the sum was part payment for four acres of land bought from the defendant.

The statement read; “The Octogenarian was docked on a four count charge bordering on obtaining money under false pretence, contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act,.

“The complainant alleged that he bought four acres of land from the defendant for N4, 400,000 but he was later denied access to the land by some people who claimed to be the actual owners of the land.

One of the counts read, ‘That you, Chief Olagoke Samson Amoo-Onidundu on or about the 19th August, 2020, at Ibadan within the Ibadan Judicial Division of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N2million from one Oluwagbemi Ashaolu by falsely telling him that the sum was part payment for the purchase of four acres of land you have secured for him, which you are in a position to deliver to him; which you knew to be false and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1(1)(a)of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under section 1 (3) of the same Act’.

“In view of his plea, Ben Ubi, prosecution counsel, asked for a date for the commencement of trial. He also prayed the court to remand the defendant at the Nigerian Correctional Centre.”

The traditional ruler pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against him.

The case was adjourned to August 9, 2021, while the defendant has been remanded at the Nigerian Correctional Centre, Abolongo.

Court Fixes February 19 For Judgement On Saraki’s Ikoyi Houses.

January 28, 2021 No Comments

Upon being served with the interim forfeiture order, the former senate president, through his counsel, Kehinde Ogunwunmiju (SAN), approached the court to discharge the temporary order.

Justice Muhammed Liman of the Federal High Court Lagos has fixed February 19, 2021, for judgment in a suit filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for the total and final forfeiture of two properties belonging to the former Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki.

Justice Liman fixed the date on Tuesday after all parties adopted and argued their final written addresses.

Saraki, a two-term governor of Kwara, is being investigated by the anti-graft agency, which alleged that while serving as governor between 2003 and 2011, he withdrew over N12 billion cash from the account of the Kwara government and paid same into his accounts domiciled in Access and Zenith Banks through one of his assistants, Abdul Adama.

The court had on October 21, 2019, while granting an exparte application brought before it by the EFCC and argued by its counsel, Nnemeka Omewa, ordered the interim forfeiture of the two properties located on 17 and 17b, McDonald Road, Ikoyi, Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State, which were said to have been acquired with proceeds of unlawful activity.

Upon being served with the interim forfeiture order, the former senate president, through his counsel, Kehinde Ogunwunmiju (SAN), approached the court to discharge the temporary order.

The judge, however, declined to discharge the interim order. Instead, he ordered the parties to show cause why the two properties should be forfeited to the Nigerian government.

The court commenced hearing on the motion for final forfeiture of the said properties on February 6, 2020.

During the final forfeiture application hearing, the EFCC called three witnesses and tendered several documentary evidence, which the court admitted.

The anti-graft agency claimed the properties were obtained with loans from GTBank and repaid with Kwara State funds.

But Saraki told them that he was already a successful businessman before he came into politics. He told the court that EFCC must prove that the properties were proceed of an unlawful act.

At the resumed hearing of the matter on Tuesday, the EFCC’s counsel, Omewa, while citing a plethora of authority, said the agency had successfully established that the money used by the former senate president in acquiring the two properties sought to be forfeited was bought through illicit funds.

However, Saraki’s counsel, Ogunwunmiju, urged the court to dismiss the EFCC’s motion on the ground that the agency had failed woefully to prove its case against his client.

Ogunwunmiju also asked the court to discharge earlier interim forfeiture placed on the two properties.

The EFCC, in an affidavit attached with the motion for final forfeiture of the said properties, deposed to by one of its investigators, Olamide Sadiq, alleged that the former senate president acquired the two properties with proceeds of unlawful activity.