Police arraign alleged serial fraudster, Egbegbe

The Police Special Fraud Unit yesterday arraigned Nigerian filmmaker, Olajide Kazeem, popularly known as Seun Egbegbe, for alleged serial frauds, involving N39, 098,100, $90,000 and £12,550 at the Federal High Court, Lagos.

Egbegbe was arraigned on 36 counts, alongside Oyekan Ayomide, whom he allegedly conspired to perpetrate the frauds between 2015 and this year. The duo was arraigned before Justice Oluremi Oguntoyinbo.

They allegedly defrauded no fewer than 30 Bureau De Change (BDC) operators in Lagos between 2015 and February this year, mostly by falsely presenting to the victims that they had foreign currencies to sell to the BDC operators.

The Police alleged, for instance, that on February 2, this year, Egbegbe and Ayomide fraudulently obtained the sums of N2.45m and £3,000 from one Alhaji Isa Adamu in Lagos under the guise that they wanted to see the naira and buy the pounds.

The other victims of the alleged frauds by Egbegbe were Mohammed Sanni, who was allegedly defrauded of N2.46m on New Year day; Jubrila Ado, allegedly defrauded of N1.257m on September 9, last year; Hassan Amodu, allegedly defrauded of N600, 000 in January last year; Sanni Hassan, defrauded of N1.43 and £2,750 in August 2015; Saidi Abdullahi, defrauded of N700, 000 on April 18, last year; Atairu Abdullaahi, defrauded of N1m on June 23, last year; and Abdullahi Babadisa, defrauded of N650, 000 in January last year.

Others were Abdurawan Hassan, who allegedly lost N1.46m to Egbegbe on January 1, this year; Suraju Garuba, who lost N850, 000 in July last year; Abdullahi Mumini, who lost N2.15m in September last year; Garuba Hassan, who lost N700, 000 on January 10, last year; and Sanni Mohammed, who lost N1.89m on January 29, this year.

Also allegedly swindled by Egbegbe were Barowo Abdullahi, who lost N2.6m; Yahu Alidu, who lost N1.75m; Tairu Musa, who lost N2m; Mohammed Bello, who lost $300; Mohammed Usman, N450, 500; Suleiman Shehu, who lost N1.276m; Ahmadu Abda, who lost N2m; Nairu Musa, who lost N1.007m; and Sanni Mohammed, who lost N1.6m and $3,000.

Others include Umaru Haruna, who lost N1.7m; Abubakar Musa, who lost $4,000; Abdulrasaq Sanni, who lost N1.7m; Abdullahi Babatunde, who lost N2.77m; among others.

The Police prosecutor, who signed the charge sheet, Mr. Effiong Asuquo, said Egbegbe and Ayomide acted contrary to Section 8 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006 and were liable to be punished under Section 1(3) of the same. However, when the 36 counts were read to Egbegbe and Ayomide, they both pleaded not guilty.

The prosecuting counsel for the Police, Innocent Anyigor, urged the court to order the remand of the defendants in the prison custody and to fix a day for the trial.

But the defense Counsel, Mrs. A.O. Gbadamosi, told Justice Oguntoyinvo that she intended to file bail applications on behalf of Egbegbe and Ayomide. The Judge ordered that the defendants should be remanded in the prison custody and adjourned till March 24, this year for commencement of trial.