A Magistrate’s Court sitting in Ebute Metta, Lagos State has adjourned the trial of Abdullahi Zuru Idris and Ibrahim Mohammed on alleged N140million fraud to October 26, 2023.

Idris and Mohammed are being prosecuted for the alleged offence of conspiracy to obtain money under false pretence and stealing from John Oluwaseyi Odumuyiwa, the Managing Director of Esther Olufunmilayo Nigeria Limited.

They are facing a three-count charge bordering on the alleged offences leveled against them by the Police.

In the charge marked BG/A37/C/2023 and signed by Police prosecutor, S.E Iredia of the Zone 2 command headquarters, Onikan, the suspects committed the alleged offence on December 22, 2022.

The charge reads: “That you Abdulahi Zuru Idris ‘m’, Ibrahim Mohammed and others now at large, on the 21st day of December, 2022 at No. 1 Taylor Road, G. Cappa Compound Iddo Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did conspire to commit a felony to wit: obtaining money under false pretence and stealing, and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 325 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015.”

The remaining of the charge reads: “That you Abdulahi Zuru Idris ‘m’, Ibrahim Mohammed and others now at large, on same date, time and place, in the aforementioned Magisterial District, did unlawfully obtained the sum of N140 million only, from Mr. John Oluwaseyi Odumuyiwa, Managing Director, Esther Olufunmilayo Nigeria Ltd, on the pretence you were going to supply him 5,400 50kg bags of rice, which you did not and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 314 (1) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015.

“That you Abdulahi Zuru Idris ‘m’, Ibrahim Mohammed and others now at large, on same date, time and place, in the aforementioned Magisterial District, did steal the sum of N140 million only, from Mr. John Oluwaseyi Odumuyiwa, Managing Director Esther Olufunmilayo Nigeria Limited and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 287(5)(a) (7) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015.

The charge followed the outcome of a police investigation initiated by the complainant’s petition against Labana Rice Mills Ltd and its employees, Mohammed and Zuru, explaining how they allegedly defrauded Esther Olufunmilayo Nigeria Limited of the said sum of money.

In the petition, Mr. Odumuyiwa said Labana Rice Mills Ltd., chaired by Senator Adamu Aliero transacts business with his company through Mohammed.

The normal practice, he said, was for Esther Olufunmilayo Nigeria Limited to pay directly to Labana Rice Mills account and inform Mohammed who in turn moves the product to their company when needed.

“On November 21, 2022, my company paid N140 million for 4,800 bags of 50kg parboiled rice into Labana Rice Mills accounts.

“I later called to instruct him to proceed to Labana and supply two truckloads of 50kg rice, but all his mobile lines were switched off and efforts to reach him proved abortive. I called the Labana Regional Sales Manager, Mr. Yakubu Siaka. He directed me to call the General Manager (GM), Abdullahi Zuru.

“Zuru told me we don’t have stock with Labana Rice Mills any longer. He didn’t give any reason. He later said Mohammed no longer worked with Labana.

“We discovered that there is a grand ploy by Labana Rice Mills, Mohammed and others to defraud my company,” he declared.

However, Odumuyiwa has kicked against the charge prepared by the Police, insisting that it is deficient, considering the facts of the case and the findings of the Police investigation, adding that the appropriate jurisdiction to hear the case is the high court due to the amount involved.

He pointed out that the Police ought to have joined Labana, which received the funds in the charge, adding that he never also personally paid money to the suspects as indicated by the charge, as it was his company that made the payment.