The hope of Nollywood Film marketer, Seun Egbegbe, and his accomplice, Oyekan Ayomide of getting out of prison suffered a set-back on Wednesday, as a Lagos Federal High Court, in Lagos extended their remand order till next week Tuesday.
The trial judge, Justice Oluremi Oguntoyinbo, said the court would be ready to entertain their bail applications on the adjourned date.
The serial fraudster, Olajide Oluwaseun Karrem, popularly known as Seun Egbegbe, and his accomplice, were arraigned before the court last Friday, by the men of State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) of Lagos State
Police Command Panti-Yaba, on 36 counts charge of the alleged crime.
At the resumed hearing of the fraud suspects’ bail applications on Wednesday, their lawyer, Miss. A. O. Gbadamoshi, informed the court that she stated the process of filling the applications last Friday, and that she succeeded in completing the filing processes on Tuesday, and served the applications at the police office on Tuesday.
She also informed the court that she called the prosecutor, Mr. Innocent Anyigor, that she had served his office.
In response, the police prosecutor, Mr. Anyigor, informed the court that he was unable to file a counter to the applications, as he was only given the accused applications in the office on Wednesday morning.
He informed the court that he will need time to study the contents of the applications and before filing his counter.
The prosecutor urged the court for a short date to enable him reply to the accused persons’ bail applications.
Consequently, the presiding judge, Justice Oguntoyinbo, ordered that the Seun
Egbegbe and his accomplice be return to Prison’s custody, while adjourned the hearing of their bail applications till Tuesday, February 21, 2017.
Police in the charge marked FHC/L/40c/2017, filed before the court by the SCIID’s head of legal department, Mr. Effiong Asuquo, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), the two fraud suspects, had between 2016 and February 2, 2017, defrauded the BDC Operators at various places in Lagos State to the tune of N40.647 million; $29, 800,00 USD; and £4, 815 United Kingdom Pounds Sterling.
The two accused persons were slammed with 36 counts charge bordering on conspiracy and fraud.
The offences according to the prosecutor, Mr. Anyigor Innocent, are contrary to sections 8 and 1(1)(a)(B)(3) of Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006, and punishable under section 1(1) of the same Act.
Among the BDC operators allegedly defrauded by the serial fraudsters includes:Issa Adamu, Mohammed Sanni, Jubril Ado, Hassan Amodu, Bala Mohammed, Sanni Hassan, Abdullahi Mumuni, Suraju Garuba, Mutairu Shuaibu, Sanusi Muhammad, Kabiru Jubril.
Others includes: Barowo Abdullahi, Yahu, Abubakar Musa, Abdullahi Babatunde, Nasir Musa, Umaru Haruna, Umaru Sanni, Mohammed Bello, Mohammed Alli, Abdulrazaq Sanni, Tairu Musa, Sulaiman Sheu, Amadu Abda and Dauda Ibrahim.
Count one of the charge against the two alleged fraudsters reads: “that you Olajide Oluwaseun Karrem and Oyekan ayomide, on or about 2nd February, 2017, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court by false pretence and an intent to defraud conspired among yourselves to obtain the sum of N2. 450, 000 million; £3000 Pounds Sterling from one Alhaji Isa Adamu, and therefore committed an offence contrary to Section 8 of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Related Offences, and punishable under the same Act.
The two accused pleaded not guilty to all the counts charge.
Upon their not-guilty plea, the prosecutor, Mr. Anyigor, had urged the court to remand them in Prison’s custody pending trial.
The request which the presiding judge, Justice Oguntoyinbo, had acceded to, and ordered the two accused persons be remanded in prison custody, while fixed March 10, for trial.
