The Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (FCIID) Abuja, has accused a banker, Adebayo Ogunusi, of defrauding 26 persons of N472,353,812 million in a currency exchange scam.
The police arraigned Ogunusi, 41, Wednesday before F.O. Botoku of an Igbosere Magistrates’ Court, Lagos on 26 counts of obtaining money under false pretence.
According to the charge marked B/33/2016, the defendant, whose address was not given, obtained sums totalling N472, 353,812million from several customers under the pretext of converting it to a dollar equivalent.
Last November, the FCIID Lagos accused Ogunusi of a similar charge bordering on a N435m fraud and arraigned him before Magistrate A. O. Awogboro of an Igbosere Magistrates’ Court.
Tuesday, prosecuting Sergeant Innocent Odugbo told the court that the defendant committed the alleged fraud between May and August 2016.
He alleged that the customers trusted Ogunusi to procure dollars for them because he was a banker but he swindled them all.
Odugbo stated the names of the complainants and the sums they allegedly lost as follows:
Abiodun Fari-Arole N90m, Subomi Okeowo N27m, Adetunji Lukman N32.660m, Gbenga Ogunrinola N42.630m, Kehinde Agbabiaka N41.350m, Segun Ogunjimi N29.9m, Sola Sanda N25.650m, Mufu Gbadamosi N23.765m, Kunle Ogunsanya N16.5m, Muyiwa Teriba N17.8m, Afeez Olawale N14.5m, Francis Zakari N19.992m and David Adesanya N11.6m.
Others are Kolawole Osundiya N10.1m, Segun Sodipo N19.5m, Engineer Wale Oduwole N9.9m, Tayo Akinyelure N7.945m, Tosin Osunkoya N6.6m, Dele Banjo N5, 787,312m, Akinola Olamilekan N3.4m, Gboyega Durojaiye N3.1m, Supo Olowu N4.650m, Yemi Oshilaja N2.950m, First Vending Ltd N2.9m, Ibrahim Sokoto N1, 382,500 and N792,000 from Afolabi Mabogunje.
According to the prosecutor the offences were punishable under Section N312 (1) and (a) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
Ogunusi denied the charge.
One of the complainants, who didn’t identify himself, responded to a question from the magistrate and said Ogunusi was his childhood friend with whom he attended primary and secondary schools as well as university.