A Lagos Federal High Court, has remanded an alleged serial fraudster, Obinna Ugorji, at the Ikoyi Facility of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS) over alleged N48 million fraud.
The court presided by Justice Abimbola Awogboro, made the remand order against the alleged fraudster on Friday, after he pleaded not guilty to the charges of obtaining by false pretence and fraud of N48 million, slammed against him and his from, Obliin Investment Ltd by the men of Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU) Ikoyi, Lagos.
The 37 years old fraud suspect, according to the prosecutor, Mr. Henry Obiaze, had between October and November 2020, fraudlently obtained the sum of N48 million, from one Emeka Emmanuel Onyefuzili, under the pretence of investing the money in his company, Obliin Investment Limited.
The prosecutor also accused the defendant of converting the said sum, which he derived directly from participating in the crime of ‘obtaining money by false pretence’ with the aim of either concealing or disguising “the illicit origin of the money.
Henry told the court that the alleged offences committed by the defendant, contravened Sections 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offenses Act, 2006. And section 15(b) of the money laundering (prohibition) Act, 2011.
The defendant denied the alleged, and through his lawyer, urged the court to grant him bail in the most liberal terms
But in urging the court to disregard the defendant’s bail request, said the defendant is a flight risk, and that if granted bail, he will never come to court to face the charge.
To buttress his submission, Henry said after the defendant was granted an administrative bail, he failed in observing the bail terms.
He also told the court that while on administrative bail, the defendant committed another fraud, and upon his arrest by the operatives from Zone 2 Police Command, he escaped from custody only to be re-arrested by the operatives of the Department of State Security (DSS) at Takwa Bay Island.
Owing to the above, the prosecutor urged the court to refuse the bail application.
Justice Awogboro, after hearing the parties’ submissions, ordered that the defendant be remanded till December 28, for ruling on the bail application.
