The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibadan office today, 13 December, 2018 arraigned Akinwunmi Akubulejo and Dominic Obinna Ebisike before Hon. Justice P. I. Ajoku of the Federal High Court of Oyo State, sitting in Ibadan on a 10-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence and money laundering.
The defendants however, pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them.
In view of their plea, the prosecuting counsel, Mabas Mabur, applied for a date for trial and urged the court to remand the defendants in prison custody.
However, counsel to the first defendant, Kehinde Olawunmi filed an application praying the court to admit the first defendant to bail. Counsel to the second defendant also aligned himself with the submission of Kehinde.
Justice Ajoku, however, granted the defendants bail in the sum of N2, 000, 000 (Two Million Naira) each and two sureties in like sum. One of the sureties for each shall be a civil servant not below grade level 14 with the Federal or Oyo State Government.
The court further ruled that the surety must have a landed property which must be covered by a Certificate of Occupancy which must be deposited with the Deputy Chief Registrar of the court. The sureties must be resident within the jurisdiction of the court and will be verified by the prosecution. The case is adjourned to February 27, 2019 for trial.
One of the charges read: “That you, Akinwunmi Akubulejo and Dominic Obinna Ebisike and Harrison Duru, a.k.a. Emeka Chukwu and one K. C. (both now at large), in February, 2017, in Ibadan, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court, conspired to obtain the sum of Two Million, Eight Hundred Thousand Naira, under false pretence and thereby committed an offence contrary to Sections 8(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.
The journey to the dock for the defendants followed a petition to the Commission alleging that sometimes in 2017 the complainant (name withheld) who resides in California, United States of America, received a phone call allegedly emanating from the defendants. The defendant allegedly claimed to be a staff of his bank and informed him that he is calling to assist him set up a silver account he requested. He asked him of his token number which he obliged.
According to the complainant, immediately, N200,000.00 was transferred out of his account fourteen times making a total of N2, 800,000.00. It was then he realized he had been duped.