Court convicts sureties for failing to produce fraud suspects in Kwara

Justice Adenike Akinpelu of the Kwara High Court, Ilorin, on Friday convicted two sureties for failing to produce suspects for trial.

The duo – Adenigba Olusola of the State Judicial Service Commission, and Bisiriyu AbdulFatai of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) – stood as sureties for suspects being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged internet fraud, but failed to produce them for trial.

In Friday’s proceeding, Justice Akinpelu agreed with the submission of the prosecutors, Sesan Ola and Andrew Akoja, that the two sureties should forfeit their bail bond.

She ordered Olusola to forfeit the recognisance of N5 million and remit the sum of N4.5 million for the first defendant.

He will also pay N500,000 within three months or be committed to six months in prison.

The judge said: “Olusola will also forfeit the recognisance of N1 million for the second defendant and remit the sum of N750,000 for the second defendant.

READ ALSO: Court convicts two men for internet fraud in Kwara

“In addition, he will pay the sum of N250,000 within three months or be committed to prison for five months.”

For AbdulFatai, he will forfeit the recognisance of N3 million and remit the sum of N2 million for the third defendant.

He was ordered to pay N1 million within three months or be committed to six months in prison.

Olusola stood as surety for one Amaechi Umenye and Adeyemi Adedeji, while AbdulFatai stood for Dawodu Olusoji.

The two civil servants made an undertaking to produce the defendants, who are now at large, anytime they were needed by EFCC.

The trio of Umenye, Adedeji and Olusoji were among the 30 suspected internet fraudsters arrested by the commission in Offa, Offa Local Government Area of the state, sometime in 2020.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now