EFCC arraigns FCMB staff for allegedly duping customer of N74m

A banker, Ogunleye Bamidele Ayodele has been arraigned by the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an alleged 74-million-naira fraud.

Ogunleye was arraigned on Wednesday at the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court, Maitama, Abuja.

According to EFCC, the suspect was accused of procuring the money under false pretence from the Chief executive officer of Triple a Multi Concept Global Ventures, Auwal Danyaro.

EFCC spokesman, Tony Orilade who confirmed this in a statement said the suspect had parted with Danyaro’s money without refunding after approaching him with a bait to help in getting United States Dollars from the Central Bank of Nigeria at a lower exchange rate.

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“The arraignment of the accused who is facing a nine-count charge, bordering on obtaining money under false pretence, followed a petition to EFCC, by the complainant who alleged that the accused, a Staff and his account officer at First City Monument Bank Plc; approached him with a bait to help him get United States Dollars from the Central Bank of Nigeria at a lower exchange rate.’’

Count one of the charge reads: “That you, Ogunleye Bamidele Ayodele on or about the 21st of November, 2017 in Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud did obtain the sum of often Million Naira only (10,000,000.000) from one Auwal A Danyaro, the Chief Executive Officer Of Triple A multi Concept Global ventures being money transferred from his company’s account number 3905025021 with First City Monument Bank Plc to one Ajayi Adeniyi Joshua’s account number 4668460010 with first monument bank based on your instruction as part payment of a total sum of 74,760,000 (Seventy Four Million, Seven Hundred and Sixty Thousand Naira only) under the false pretence that you were going to give him United State Dollars from the Central Bank of Nigeria, a fact which you knew to be false and there by committed an offence contrary to section 1(1) (a) and punishable under section 1 (3) of the advance fee fraud and other fraud related offences act 2006”.

The defendant pleaded not ‘guilty’ to all the charges and the prosecution counsel, Iwebafa Gift Odibo, asked for a trial date and prayed the court to remand the defendant in prison custody pending hearing.

However, the defence counsel, Osuji Udoka Geraldine, told the court about a pending application for bail on behalf of her client.

Justice Hussaini Baba ordered the defendant to be remanded in Kuje Prison and adjourned the matter to May 15, 2019, for bail application and May 30, 2019 for hearing.

By Todimu Ogunade…

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