The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ( EFCC), on Thursday arraigned 36- year-old Joseph Oyediran (pictured above), one of the cybercrime suspects wanted by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, before Justice Mahmood Abdulgafar of a Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin on a five count charge bordering on fraudelent activities.
Count two of the charge reads, “That you, Joseph Oyediran (Joe MG, Morris Graves), sometime in May 2015, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, with intent to defraud obtained the sum of N1, 421,968.00 (One million, four hundred and twenty one thousand, nine hundred and sixty eight naira) from one Andrea Smith a white American woman on the false pretence that you were Joe MG, a white American man in love with her, a representation you knew to be false and punishable under section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act No.14 of 2006”
Oyediran however pleaded not guilty to all the charges levelled against him by the anti graft agency.
Following his plea, prosecuting counsel, Sessan Ola asked for a trial date to enable the prosecution prove its case. “We also pray your Lordship to remand the defendant in prison custody pending the hearing and determination of this matter”, he stated.
Ruling on the submission, Justice Abdulgafar ordered that the defendant be remanded in Mandala Prison and adjourned to October 9 for commencement of trial.
Meantime, the Kaduna Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on Wednesday arraigned one Nuhu Ibrahim Shuaibu (alias Ishaku Abdulrazak) before Justice P. Mallong of the Federal High Court, sitting in Kaduna on four-count charges that border on impersonation and fraud to the tune of N65,150,000 (Sixty-five Million, One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira).
Shuaibu’s road to the dock began sometime in 2017, when he introduced himself as NNPC’s Group Managing Director, Finance and Accounts to a businessman, Mallam Faisal Safiyanu, whom he promised to assist in the procurement of between 2,000mt to 2,500mt of petroleum products.
Over a period of time, the plaintiff paid a total sum of N65,150,000 (Sixty-five Million, One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) to the defendant in three instalments.
After the payments, all efforts by the victim to get the defendant supply the promised petroleum products proved abortive.
One of the charges reads: “That you Nuhu Ibrahim Shuaibu ( a.k.a Ishaku Abdulrazak) of No 1, Khaleesa Close Millennium City Kaduna, between November 2017 and May 2018 in Kaduna, within the judicial division of this honourable court with intent to defraud, did obtain the total sum of N65,150,000 (Sixty-five Million, One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira) from one Faisal Safiyanu under the pretence that you will supply him with petroleum products which you knew to be false and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offence Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges, prompting the prosecution counsel, M. Lawal to pray the court for a commencement date of trial and for the defendant to be remanded in prison custody pending trial.
Counsel to the defendant, Sule Shuaibu, however, prayed the court to grant his client bail to enable him prepare for his trial-a prayer that was objected to by the prosecution-who feared the defendant would jump bail.
Justice Mallong ordered the accused to be remanded in prison custody and fixed September 30, 2019 for the hearing of the bail application.