The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibadan Zonal Office has arraigned one Odeneye Eniola before Justice Mohammed Abubakar of the Federal High Court, sitting in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Odeneye is facing a one-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretense, contrary to Section 1 (1) (a) and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.
He was alleged to have defrauded one Chris, an American citizen of the sum of $3,300 (Three Thousand Three Hundred Dollars), while posing online as a woman to deceive his victims.
The count reads: “That you, Odeneye Eniola, sometimes in 2019, at Awa Ijebu within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court with intent to defraud, obtain the sum of $3,300 USD (Three Thousand Three Hundred United States Dollars) from Chris, an American citizen when you falsely represented to him that you are a woman, which facilitated your collecting money from him through iTunes and play Gift Cards, which representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offense contrary to section 1(1)(a) and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offenses Act 2006.”
The defendant, however, pleaded “not guilty” to the charge.
Prosecuting counsel, Shamsudden Bahir, thereafter, prayed the court to give a date for trial to commence and to order that the defendant be remanded in prison, pending the determination of the case.
Defence counsel, A.A. Falujo, made an oral application asking the court to grant the defendant bail on liberal terms.
Though, EFCC’s counsel was not opposed to granting bail to the accused, he prayed the court to set the terms that would make the defendant attend his trial.
After listening to arguments of both sides, Justice Abubakar granted Odeneye bail in the sum of N3 million and two sureties in like sum.
He further ordered that one of the surety must be a civil servant resident and working in the state.
The matter has been adjourned to May 15, 2019 for “commencement of trial”, while the defendant was ordered to be remanded in prison, pending the perfection of his bail conditions.