Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, has fixed January 10, 2024 to commence trial of a couple, Oriyomi Idowu and Ruth Idowu, who were arraigned by the Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on November 28, 2023, on a 20-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence, money laundering, stealing, retention of stolen property, and forgery amounting to N2,757,188,000.00.

They were arraigned alongside Food Commodity Processing Enterprise, Bonway Food Processing Company Limited, Samee Idowu Company Limited, and Farmex Integrated Companies Limited, which all belong to Ruth Idowu.

One of the counts reads: “Ruth Sameeha Idowu, also known as Loiry Ventures, Oriyomi Kabeer Idowu, also known as Yocli Ventures, Food Commodity Processing Enterprise, Bonway Food Processing Company Ltd, Samee Idowu Company Limited, Farmex Integrated Companies Limited, sometime in 2023, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, converted the sum of N10,000,000 to purchase a GLK Benz, purchase sum derived from converting the sum of N500,000,000 belonging to Creditpro Business Support Services, with the aim of disguising the illegal origin of the funds.”

Another count reads: “Ruth Sameeha Idowu, aka Loiry Ventures, Oriyomi Kabeer Idowu, also known as Yocli Ventures, Food Commodity Processing Enterprise, Bonway Food Processing Company Ltd., Samee Idowu Company Limited, Farmex Integrated Companies Limited, sometime in 2023, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, dishonestly retained the sum of N936,619,876 in your UBA bank account, property of Creditpro Business Support Services, knowing same to be funds fraudulently obtained from Creditpro Business Support Services.”

The defendants pleaded “not guilty” to the charges when they were read to them, thereby prompting the court to adjourn till Friday, December 15, 2023, for hearing of their bail applications.

At Friday’s proceedings, James Alara, counsel for Ruth, who is the first defendant, informed the court that he was withdrawing an earlier motion for the bail of his client, and replacing it with a new one “due to the need to include medical reports on the health status of the first defendant”.