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| The suspects |
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibadan Zonal Office, on Monday, May 13, 2019 arraigned the duo of Osho Olalekan Michael and Azeez Toba before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court 2, sitting in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. The defendants were arraigned separately on different charges.
While Michael was docked on a two-count charge of possession of false document and obtaining itunes gift cards under false pretense, Toba is to answer to a four-count charge of forgery, altering, possession of false document and obtaining the sum of โฌ1000 (One Thousand Euros) under false pretense.
The journey to the dock for the twosome began on April 3, 2019, when officers of the Oyo State special security outfit, “Operation Burst,” arrested and handed them over to the Commission for further investigation.
The charges brought against Michael contravene Section 6, and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and Section 1 (1) (a) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.
Toba was charged with offences contrary to Section 6, and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, Section 1 (1) (a) and punishable under Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and Section 1 (2) (c) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap. M17, Laws of the Federation, 2004.
The duo pleaded not guilty to the charges. In view of their plea, prosecution counsel, Abdulrasheed Suleman, applied for a trial date.
Counsel to the defendants, Tunde Lawal, however, informed the court that the second defendant, Toba, had applied to the prosecution for a plea bargain and had already paid back the money involved.
He thereafter prayed the court for a short adjournment to enable them perfect the plea bargain arrangement.
Justice Abdulmalik adjourned the case to June 6, 2019 for Oshoโs trial, as well as allow Toba to properly enter his plea bargain. And ordered that they be remanded at Agodi Prison.
The arrest of the two was sequel to the escape of one of their alleged victims, who jumped down from a two-storey building where she and others were allegedly being taken hostage.
According to the victim, “we met at the club last night and we all went back to their apartment to sleep over. At some point, I noticed some funny movements and saw them with a calabash (a native pot). That was when I knew they were ritualists with the intention to use me for rituals. So I jumped off the two-storey building, and off the fence. I then reported the case to the โOperation Burst.”
