* Seun Egbegbe Source: NaijaGists.com
The scheduled trial of Nigerian film maker, Olajide Kazeem, popularly called Seun Egbegbe and other accused persons arraigned over alleged multi-million dollars fraud before a Federal High Court, Lagos was stalled due to the absence of the prosecuting Police Officer.
Other accused persons charged before the court by the Men of State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) Panti-Yaba, Lagos, are: Oyekan Ayomide, Lawal Kareem, Olalekan Yusuf and Muyideen Shoyombo.
At the resumed trial of the accused persons on Wednesday, the court presided over by Justice Oluremi Oguntoyinbo, informed the accused persons that the prosecution, Inspector Anyigor Innocent, had written a letter informing the court that he is out of the jurisdiction for official duty.
Consequently, Justice Oguntoyinbo adjourned the trial of Egbegbe and other accused persons was adjourned till October 3 and ordered them to be returned to Prison’s custody as they are yet to meet the bail conditions granted them by the court.
Recalled that the Nigerian film Maker, Egbegbe and his co-accused were re-arraigned by the police in a third amended charge marked FHC/L/40c/2017, on charges bordering on conspiracy, stealing, and fraud in the sum of N39, 098,100, $90,000 and £12,550, belonging to over 30 Bureau De Change Operators.
The police alleged that the defendants defrauded the BDC operators mostly by falsely representing to the victims that they had foreign currencies to sell to or buy from the BDC operators.
The police alleged, for instance, that on February 2, 2017, Egbegbe and his co-defendants 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.
Among the other victims of the alleged frauds by Egbede were Mohammed Sanni, who was allegedly defrauded of N2.46million on 2017 New Year day, Jubrila Ado, allegedly defrauded of N1.257million 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.
The police prosecutor, Mr. Innocent Anyigor, told the court that Egbegbe and the others acted 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.
