Justice Kudirat Jose of the Lagos State High Court Ikeja yesterday heard how two Oyo state based businessmen Jimoh Aremu Oderinde and Sheriff Olaseni Ajaga allegedly used the name of former Comptroller-General of Nigerian Customs Service Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko to obtained N30.7million by false pretence.
An Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) witness, Kajethan Egerue told the judge that the two men collected the money from their victim in the name of Dikko as cost to facilitate the release of his goods which were seized by the Nigeria Custom Service.
The anti-graft commission had arraigned Oderinde and Ajaga before the court on a seven count charged of conspiracy to obtaining money and obtaining money by false pretence contrary to Section 1(3) of Advance Fee Fraud and other Related Offence Act No 14 of 2006.
The witness, who is an EFCC operative, told court that he knew the defendants following a petition written by one Jimoh Oyesiji dated February 9, 2015.
Egerue, while beingled in evidence by lawyer to the anti-graft agency, Mrs Vera Agboje, said that the defendants collected the money from the complainant as cost to facilitate the release of his goods which were seized by the Nigeria Custom Service.
He so testified that the complainant sometimes in 2014, imported 8000 bags of rice which was seized by the Nigeria Custom Service, and 1st defendant told him he knows someone working with the presidency that will facilitate release of the goods.
The witness further stated that the first defendant organised a meeting with complainant and 2nd defendant (Sheriff Ajaga) who acted as George Olawale that he had discussed the matter with custom boss, Alhaji Dikko.
Copyright Ships & Ports Ltd. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit given to www.shipsandports.com.ng as the source.