84-year-old man faces trial for N20.7m fraud

An 84-year-old man, Fasasi Odubola Adebambo, was on Wednesday arraigned by the police at a Federal High Court in Lagos over alleged N20.7 million fraud.

Adebambo was arraigned alongside one Ojobaro Lawal Kayode, before Justice Akintayo Aluko, on a two-count charge bordering on the alleged offence.

The duo, however, denied the alleged offence upon their arraignment. Afterwards, police lawyer, Henry Obiaze, sought for a trial date and requested the remand of the defendants in custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service.

Responding, defence lawyer, Yinka Farombi, pleaded with the court to release the defendants to him considering the age of the first defendant.

He undertook to ensure their appearance in court for their trial.

In a Bench ruling, Justice Aluko acceded to Farombi’s request and adjourned till June 28, for the hearing of the defendants’ bail motion and commencement of trial.

In the charge marked FHCL/230c/2021, the defendants were said to have collected the money from a couple, Dr. & Mrs. Mbeledogu, under the guise of selling a property at Maryland Area of Lagos State, to them.

The offences allegedly committed by the defendants between January and February 2020 were said to have contravened Section 8 (a) and 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under Section 3 of the same Act.

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The two-count charge reads: “That you Fasasi Odubola Adebambo ‘m’ and Ojobaro Lawal Kayode ‘m’ sometimes between the months of January and February, 2020 at Maryland within the jurisdiction of this Hon. Court did conspire together to commit felony to wit; obtaining money by false pretences and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 8 (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.

“That you Fasasi Odubola Adebambo ‘m’ and Ojobaro Lawal Kayode ‘m’ sometimes between January and February, 2020 at Maryland within the jurisdiction of this Hon. Court did by false pretence and with intent to defraud obtain the sum of N20,700,000 from Dr. & Mrs. Mbeledogu on the pretence that you have a property at Maryland which you want to sell to them and which you also know to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(a) and punishable under Section 3 of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.”

The Star