Court remands police officer over N128 million fraud

A Federal High Court, Lagos has remanded a police officer, Jerry Ogunsakin, in Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS) Lagos, for allegedly obtaining by false pretence and unlawful conversion of N128 million. Ogunsakin, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) was arraigned before Justice Chukwuejekwu Aneke by the Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU) Lagos.
  
The prosecuting counsel, Chukwu Agwu, who hold the brief of Justine Enang, of PSFU Ikoyi, Lagos, told the court that the defendant committed the offences on November 15, 2022.
  
The prosecutor told the court that the defendant connived with others at large, fraudulently obtained the sum of N128 million, from a businessman, Esomonu Everest, with false pretence that they have United States Dollars (USD) equivalent to sell.
  
Agwu told the court that the defendant conspired with Ogbu Patricia a.k.a. Lamba, Michael Babatunde a.k.a Orija, Bolaji Sobande a.k.a. Barr Onifade, Peter Ben and Alhaja Idris Wada a.k.a. Coker, who are at large.
  
The defendant was accused of converting the said sum of N128 million for his personal use. The prosecution said his offence contravened provision of sections 8(a) and punishable under Section 1(3)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act No. 14 of 2006, as well as Section 15(2)(b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as Amended in 2012.
  
Following his plea of not guilty, the prosecution counsel asked the court for trial date, and to remand the defendant in the correctional facility till the determination of the charge.
  
His counsel, Mr. Kole Bello, did not oppose the prosecutor’s request. Justice Aneke, therefore, ordered that the defendant be remanded in the custody of NCoS and adjourned to July 19, 2023, for trial.