Prosecutor’s absence stalls Seun Egbegbe’s fraud trial

The trial of a Nigerian film maker, Olajide Kazeem, better known
as Seun Egbede, for alleged serial frauds involving N39, 098,100,
$90,000 and £12,550 was stalled on Wednesday due to the absence of
the prosecuting counsel for the police, Mr. Innocent Anyigor.

The trial judge, Justice Oluremi Oguntoyinbo, of the Federal
High Court in Lagos, told Egbegbe and his co-defendants that the
prosecutor had written to the court that he would be out of
jurisdiction on an official duty.

The judge consequently adjourned the case till October 3, 2017,
while she ordered the defendants, who had yet to perfect their bail
conditions, to return to the prison custody.

Egbegbe is standing trial alongside Oyekan Ayomide, Lawal
Kareem, Olalekan Yusuf and Muyideen Shoyombo.

The defendants were accused of swindling no fewer than 30 Bureau
De Change operators in Lagos of various sums both in local and
foreign currencies between 2015 and 2017.

The police alleged that the defendants defrauded the BDC
operators mostly by falsely representing to the victims that they
had foreign currencies to sell to or buy from the BDC
operators.

The police alleged, for instance, that on February 2, 2017,
Egbegbe and his co-defendants fraudulently obtained the sums of
N2.45m and £,3,000 from one Alhaji Isa Adamu in Lagos under the
guise that they wanted to sell the naira and buy the pounds.

Among the other victims of the alleged frauds by Egbede were
Mohammed Sanni, who was allegedly defrauded of N2.46m on 2017 New
Year day; Jubrila Ado, allegedly defrauded of N1.257m on September
9, 2016; Hassan Amodu, allegedly defrauded of N600,000 in January
2016; Sanni Hassan, defrauded off N1.43 and £2,750 in August 2015;
Saidi Abdullahi, defrauded of N700,000 on April 18, 2016; Atairu
Abdullahi, defrauded of N1m on June 23, 2016; and Abdullahi
Babadisa, defrauded of N650,000 in January 2016.

The police prosecutor, Anyigor, told the court that Egbegbe and
the others acted contrary to Section 8 of the Advance Fee Fraud and
Other Related Offences Act 2006 and were liable to be punished
under Section 1(3) of the same.

But when the charges were read to them, they all pleaded not
guilty.

The trial of a Nigerian film maker, Olajide Kazeem, better known
as Seun Egbede, for alleged serial frauds involving N39, 098,100,
$90,000 and £12,550 was stalled on Wednesday due to the absence of
the prosecuting counsel for the police, Mr. Innocent
Anyigor.

The trial judge, Justice Oluremi Oguntoyinbo, of the Federal
High Court in Lagos, told Egbegbe and his co-defendants that the
prosecutor had written to the court that he would be out of
jurisdiction on an official duty.

The judge consequently adjourned the case till October 3, 2017,
while she ordered the defendants, who had yet to perfect their bail
conditions, to return to the prison custody.

Egbegbe is standing trial alongside Oyekan Ayomide, Lawal
Kareem, Olalekan Yusuf and Muyideen Shoyombo.

The defendants were accused of swindling no fewer than 30 Bureau
De Change operators in Lagos of various sums both in local and
foreign currencies between 2015 and 2017.

The police alleged that the defendants defrauded the BDC
operators mostly by falsely representing to the victims that they
had foreign currencies to sell to or buy from the BDC
operators.

The police alleged, for instance, that on February 2, 2017,
Egbegbe and his co-defendants fraudulently obtained the sums of
N2.45m and £,3,000 from one Alhaji Isa Adamu in Lagos under the
guise that they wanted to sell the naira and buy the pounds.

Among the other victims of the alleged frauds by Egbede were
Mohammed Sanni, who was allegedly defrauded of N2.46m on 2017 New
Year day; Jubrila Ado, allegedly defrauded of N1.257m on September
9, 2016; Hassan Amodu, allegedly defrauded of N600,000 in January
2016; Sanni Hassan, defrauded off N1.43 and £2,750 in August 2015;
Saidi Abdullahi, defrauded of N700,000 on April 18, 2016; Atairu
Abdullahi, defrauded of N1m on June 23, 2016; and Abdullahi
Babadisa, defrauded of N650,000 in January 2016.

The police prosecutor, Anyigor, told the court that Egbegbe and
the others acted contrary to Section 8 of the Advance Fee Fraud and
Other Related Offences Act 2006 and were liable to be punished
under Section 1(3) of the same.

But when the charges were read to them, they all pleaded not
guilty.