Justice Akintayo Aluko of the Federal High Court, Lagos, yesterday, remanded an engineer, Adeleke Adebesin, in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) over an alleged N40 million fraud.
The court ordered his remand after he was arraigned by the Special Fraud Unit (PSFU) of the Nigeria Police, pending when his bail application will be heard and determined.
Adebesin was arraigned alongside his company, Kings Intercontinental Homes and Properties Nigeria Limited, and one James Oladimeji Ogunsango, said to be at large.
When the matter was called, the defendant’s counsel, E. N. Offiah, told the court that he was just being briefed on the matter, and that he needed a short date to file his client’s bail application.
Justice Aluko, while adjourning the matter till March 11, for hearing of the bail application, ordered that the defendant be remanded in the custody of the NCoS.
The prosecuting counsel, Sylvester Azubike, said the 53-year-old engineer, sometime in 2019, induced a Lagos business man, Taiye Fajana, the chairman of Twins Faja Nigeria Limited, to deliver to him N40 million.
The prosecutor also told the court that the defendant, his company, and the other, said to be at large, issued a Stanbic IBTC bank cheque with the number 20218203, and account number 00234349, dated October 30, 2019, but when the cheque was presented at the bank, it was dishonoured for lack of sufficient funds.
The prosecution said his offence contravened Section 1(1) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offence Act, No. 14 of 2006 and is punishable under Section 1(3) of the said Act and Section 1(a)(i) of the Dishonoured Cheques (Offences) Act, 2004.
