Two bank officials told the Special Crimes Court in Ikeja, Lagos, how more than N200 million was paid into the account of a self-proclaimed army general who was being prosecuted for fraud by the Commission of Economic and Financial Crimes (EFCC).
EFCC is prosecuting Bolarinwa Abiodun on 13 counts of obtaining money under false pretenses and fraud.
He allegedly defrauded the whistleblower out of about 266 million Naira by posing as the son of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
The commission brought in Chris Ekpe, First Bank’s compliance officer, and Emmanuel Emaikwo, relationship manager with United Bank for Africa (UBA), to testify as prosecution witnesses in Wednesday’s trial.
According to the statement released on Thursday by EFCC spokesman Wilson Uwujaren, the witnesses confirmed the various transactions carried out in the defendant’s accounts at their respective banks.
Introduced by attorney for the prosecution, Rotimi Oyedepo, Mr. Ekpe, who testified as the second witness for the prosecution, told the court that the defendant changed the name of his bank account before he started using it to defraud his victim, Bamidele Safiriyu. .
The witness also told the court that the bank, on February 2, 2017, received a notarial publication dated December 20, 2016, with an account name change letter from Hassan Kareem Ayinde to Olusegun Abiodun Bolarinwa.
“Defendant’s account balance at the time of the account name change was N1,319.04,” it added.
According to the witness, after the name change, large sums of money began to enter the defendant’s account.
Thereafter, the prosecution submitted as evidence the EFCC request letter sent to the bank, the Compliance and Identification Certificate, the bank’s response, and the defendant’s account records.
The court admitted the documents as evidence as there were no objections from the defense attorney, Kayode Lawal.
Testifying as a third witness, Mr. Emaikwo similarly confirmed the various transactions made on the defendant’s account with UBA.
Subsequently, the prosecution requested a short adjournment to allow the investigating officer and a representative of the Nigerian Army to testify against the accused.
The judge, Oluwatoyin Taiwo, adjourned the case until May 6-10.
PREMIUM TIMES had reported how Mr. Safiriyu testified in April how the defendant allegedly swindled him by posing as Mr. Obasanjo’s son.
Charges
EFCC charged Mr. Abiodun with obtaining money by deception, forgery of documents and possession of documents by false pretenses, among other charges.
The commission said that the alleged fraud, involving around N266,500,000, was reported by Mr. Safiriyu.
He said that the defendant made false representations to the complainant that President Muhammadu Buhari had shortlisted him and another to be appointed Chief of Army Staff, COAS.
He had allegedly told the whistleblower that he needed a short grant to “push and process the appointment.”
Mr. Abiodun, who was arrested at his home in the Alagbado area of Lagos state on Wednesday, January 12, 2022, also allegedly forged a COAS appointment letter allegedly signed by the president and showed it to the victim to further test your claim. .
In that letter, he stated that he needed to put a certain amount of money into the coffers of the Federal Government of Nigeria, as part of the requirements for appointment as COAS.
It is also alleged that Mr. Abiodun, in May 2020, forged a Nigerian Army Identity Card with serial number 387140, claiming that he had been issued the same by the Nigerian Army.
He also allegedly forged a ‘Letter of Recommendation’ purportedly signed by former President Olusegun Obasanjo recommending Adebayo Rasaq Adebola, with recruitment number 77RRI/OG/556/0032555, and Adeogun Emmanuel Adesola with recruitment number 77RRI/ OG/352/0123751 to work in the Nigerian Army.
The alleged offenses are said to be contrary to section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offenses Act 2006; Section 363 of the Lagos State Criminal Act of 2015 and Section 6 of Act No. 14 of 2006 on Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences, respectively.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to all charges.