From Sola Ojo, Abuja
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has re-arraigned Murtala Adebayo before Justice R.A. Oshodi of a Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos, for an alleged N19 million fraud.
Adebayo was initially arraigned on January 24, 2024, on a three-count charge and pleaded “not guilty” to the charges levelled against him.
The case was re-assigned to Justice Oshodi after Justice Mojisola Dada withdrew due to allegations that Adebayo used fake documents to secure bail.
The defendant is accused of obtaining N4.5 million and three cars valued at N9 million from Gafar Abiodun Ademolake through false representation.
Adebayo pleaded “not guilty” to the charges, and the court granted him bail in the sum of N5 million with one surety and a lien of N5 million on the surety’s personal account.
In the course of the trial, a petitioner alleged that the defendant used “phony” Corporate Affairs Commission documents as well as fake tax documents to secure bail from the court.
One of the counts reads: “Murtala Adebayo, sometime in 2015 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N4,500,000 from one Gafar Abiodun Ademolake by falsely representing to him that the payment was for three plots of land at Ogombo Ajah, Lagos, which representation you knew to be false.”
Another count reads: “Murtala Adebayo, sometime in 2019 at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, obtained three cars, two Toyota Camry 2005 models and one Honda Accord 2006 model, all at an agreed value of N9 million from one Gafar Abiodun Ademolake by falsely representing to him that the payment was for the balance payment of 18 plots of land at Ayogbemi Village, Ibeju, Lekki, Lagos, a representation you knew to be false.”
The case has been adjourned to March 7, 2025, for trial.