Court orders brother of Edo dep gov to be remanded in prison over alleged N9.3m fraud

The brother of Pius Odubu, Deputy governor of Edo State, was on Monday arraigned in court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged N9.3 million.

Mr Joseph Ovbokhan Odubu, was arraigned at the Federal High Court sitting in Benin, Edo State and presided over by Justice P. I. Ajoku on a 3-count charge bordering on forgery, uttering and obtaining money by false presence.

Odubu, was arraigned along his company Even Handed Services Limited, where he is the Managing Director, for allegedly using forged documents to obtain a loan facility worth N 9.3 million on September 5, 2014 from First Bank Plc to facilitate the supply of chairs and desks in Edo State.

One of the count reads, “That you Odubu Joseph Ovbokhan and Even Handed Services Limited on or about the 9th day of September, 2014 in Benin within the Jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, with intent to defraud obtained the sum of (N9,360,000.00) Nine Million Three Hundred and Sixty Thousand Naira in credit from First Bank of Nigeria Limited, by deceitfully presenting a letter of domiciliation which you used as a farce and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable by Section 1(3) of the same law.”

Read also: Ex Gov Nyako, son back in court over alleged N40bn fraud

While he pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to him, the prosecution counsel, C. A. Okoli prayed the court to fix a date for the initiation of trial, adding that the accused person should be remanded in prison custody.

Counsel to the defendant, Osama Idehen, however orally appealed for bail which the court turned down and asked him to make his application formal.

The case was adjourned to November 22, 2016 for trial as the court ordered that the defendant be remanded in prison custody.

By Ebere Ndukwu …

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