Admin l Thursday, January 27, 2022
IKEJA, Lagos, Nigeria – Justice Serifat Solebo of the Lagos State Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja on Wednesday remanded a businessman, Edrian Osagie Ididia, in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Centre over his alleged involvement in a N84 million fraud.
Justice Solebo ordered that Ididia be kept behind bar after he was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a two-count charge of fraud and stealing of the said sum.
In the first count, the EFCC accused Ididia of obtaining money by false pretence contrary to Sections 1(1) and 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act No. 14 of 2006.
He was alleged to have obtained N84 million ‘with intent to defraud’ one Mark David Umeh on the false representation that he had three Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) for sale in September 2019, knowing fully well that his claim was false.
The anti-graft agency, in the second count, accused the defendant of stealing contrary to Sections 278 and 285 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, No 11, 2011.
“Adrian Osagie Ididia between the 13th day of September 2019 and the 29th day of October 2019 at Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court dishonestly stole and converted to your use, the sum of N84,000,000 (eighty-four million nairas only) property of Mr Mark David Umeh,” the particulars of offence read.
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge. Based on his not guilty plea, the EFCC counsel, Muhammad Hussain urged the court to remand the defendant in prison and also fixed the trial date.
But the defence lawyer, Victor Chinedu informed the court that he had filed and served his client bail application on the prosecution. He, therefore, urged the court to grant him leave to move the application, a request which was not opposed to by Hussain.
While moving the application, Chinedu urged the court to admit the defendant to bail because he had been granted bail by a Federal High Court in a similar matter. He maintained that the defendant is ready to stand trial and he would not jump bail if granted by the court.
But the prosecutor prayed the court to admit the defendant to bail because he has no fixed address in Nigeria. He, however, submitted that if the court is willing to grant the bail, it should impose such terms that will compel the defendant to attend court for his trial.
