The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday arraigned the trio of Omofojoye Olawale, Ganiyu Olamilekan Mufutau and Yusuf Rasaq Taiwo before Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja, on a five-count-charge bordering on forgery, conspiracy, stealing, issuance of dud cheque and obtaining goods by false pretense.
The defendants allegedly defrauded Magenenu Global Nigeria Limited by stealing and converting to their own use, 66,000 litres of Automotive Gas Oil valued at N9.9million.
One of the charges reads: “that you Omofojoye Olawale, Ganiyu Olamilekan Mufutau and Yusuf Rasaq Taiwo (at large) sometime in the month of January, 2015 at Lagos within the Ikeja Judicial Division fraudulently converted to your own use 66, 000 litres of AGO valued at the sum of Nine Million, Nine Hundred Thousand Naira, (N9, 900, 000.00) property of Magenenu Global Nigeria Limited”.
Another charge reads: “that you Omofojoye Olawale, Ganiyu Olamilekan Mufutau, Yusuf Rasaq Taiwo and Adebayo Adeyemo (at large) sometime in the month of January, 2015 at Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court with intent to defraud, obtained 66,000 litres of AGO valued at Nine Million, Nine Hundred Thousand Naira only (N9, 900, 000.00) property of Magenenu Global Nigeria Limited when you falsely represented to her that the payment was to be made after supply of the product which pretense you knew to be false”.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to all the charges preferred against them.
In view of their plea, prosecution counsel Kayode Oni asked the court for a trial date and also prayed the court to remand the defendants in prison custody.
However, counsel to the defendants, O.J. Ilori for the first defendant and Innocent Owe for the second and third defendants prayed the court to grant their clients bail based on the applications they filed and served the prosecution on the day of arraignment.
Justice Ipaye adjourned the matter to January 23, 2017 for hearing of the pending bail applications and ordered that the defendants be remanded in Ikoyi prison.
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