EFCC arraigns visually impaired man for alleged N19m fraud in Lagos

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday arraigned a visually impaired man, Murtala Adebayo at the Lagos Special Offences Court, Ikeja, for alleged N19 million fraud.

The commission arraigned the 72-year-old on a three-count charge of obtaining money by false pretext.

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The EFCC counsel, Mr. Babangida Isah, thereafter urged the court to pick a trial date following the defendant’s not guilty plea.

The defence counsel, Mr. Bamidele Ogundele, informed the court of a bail application dated January 24 but the prosecution informed the court that it needed time to go through the bail summon.

Ogundele, thereafter, prayed for a short adjournment to enable him to move the application.

He said the defendant has health issues and is visually impaired.

The counsel said: “We pray for a short adjournment for the bail application to be heard because of his health status my lord.

“He is a 72-year-old man and he is blind.

“We also pray that the defendant is in EFCC custody because of the state of his health so that his doctor can attend to him there.”

READ ALSO: EFCC to arraign ex-Gov Obiano for alleged N4bn fraud Wednesday

Earlier, the prosecution counsel told the court that the defendant allegedly committed the offences in 2015 and 2019, respectively in Lagos.

Isah said the defendant with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N4.5 million from one Mr. Gafar Ademolake by falsely informing him that the payment was for three plots of land at Ogombo in the Ajah area Lagos.

He added that the defendant also collected N5.5 million from the complainant as part of the payment for 18 plots of land in Ayogbemi Village in Ibeju-Lekki.

He further alleged that the defendant collected two Toyota Camry 2005 Model cars and one Honda Accord 2006 Model, valued at N9 million from the complainant that the payment was for the balance of the 18 plots of land in Ibeju, a presentation he knew to be false.

The offences, according to the prosecutor, contravened Section 1(3) of the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.

Justice Mojisola Dada adjourned the case till February 9 for a hearing of the bail application.

Dada ordered that the defendant should remain in EFCC custody pending the hearing and determination of his bail application.

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