Defence
THE Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic And Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned a 53-year-old civil servant, Olajumoke Oyawoye, for allegedly defrauding 23 church members seeking employment.
Oyawoye, a staff of Kwara Ministry of Finance, was arraigned before a Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin on Tuesday on four-count charges, bordering on employment and Hajj pilgrimage scam.
Count one of the charge read:” That you, Oyawoye R. Olajumoke Fafemi between the month of April and Sept. 2019, in Ilorin, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, obtained the gross sum of N2,000,000.00 (Two Million Maria Only) from one Moronfoye Solomon Daramola under the pretence that you will secure government employment for his church members; a representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act”.
Count four of the charge reads: “That you, OYAWOYE R. OLAJUMOKE FAFEMI between the month of May and August 2019, in Ilorin, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, obtained the gross sum of N700,000.00 (Seven Hundred Thousand Naira Only) from one Adeoti Kamoru under the pretence that you will secure Hajj Pilgrimage visa for him; a representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act”.
However, Oyawoye pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to her.
On her pleas, the Prosecuting Counsel, Andrew Akoja, urged the court to give a trial date to enable the prosecution prove its case.
The defence counsel, however, prayed the court to grant his client bail, pending the hearing and determination of the case.
Justice Mohammed Sani granted Fafemi bail in the sum of N2m and two sureties in like sum.
Sani also ordered the defendant to deposit two of her passport photographs with the court.
The judge adjourned the matter to Nov. 17, for commencement of trial.
According to the EFCC, the defendant was accused of collecting various sums of money from members of the Christ Apostolic Church in Offa under the guise of helping them secure employment in the Kwara State Civil Service Commission and Federal Government agencies.
Investigations revealed that the suspect issued employment letters to her victims.
The letters stated that her victims had been employed by the state and federal governments with their grades and salaries stated.
The letters were later discovered to be fake. (NAN)
KN
Tags: EFCC Justice Mohammed Sani Olajumoke Oyawoye
