Court forecloses defense in case involving theft of Samsung S7H in EFCC custody

Emmanuel Thomas I Wednesday, February 19, 2025

 

IKEJA, Nigeria – A Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos today foreclosed defence for the Federal government in Charge no. ID/10280C/19 between The Federal Republic of Nigeria Vs Adesimoye Victor.

Justice O.A Okunuga foreclosed defence following request by counsel to the defence, Akinrata Adelanke following refusal of the prosecution to show after service of hearing notice, which has been the practice of EFCC.

Justice Okunuga has inquired from the defence if the order of the court on service of hearing notice on Prosecution has been followed.

Counsel to the defence was positive:
“In compliance with the court order and on strength of issuance and service as ordered on prosecution, it is an admission that prosecution has been informed of the date and time of hearing and having not deliberately taken steps to appear is nothing but a disrespect to the proceedings of this court.

“We therefore urged the court to order for closure of defense by prosecution so that a written address will be filed and we proceed to judgment.

“We submit that this is a 2019 case and all adjournment has been at the instance of prosecution”, Akinrata Adelanke submitted.

The prosecutors are A.B.C Ozioko, M.K. Bashir, Oluwakemi Yemi-Makinde and Ebuka S. Okongwu.

Justice Okunuga granted his order, foreclosing defence for the Prosecution and adjourned to 9th of April for written address.

The EFCC had arrested Adesimoye Victor at one of the old generation banks upon his return from Georgia where he works as a businessman and musician and charged him to court in Charge Nos. ID/10280C/19.

According to the particulars of offence, the suspect in September 2019, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court and with intent to defraud dishonestly received through MoneyGram the sum of $287 from Jerry Shepherd, money which you ought to have reasonably known to have been fraudulently obtained and represented proceeds of cybercrime activities.

While being led in evidence by his lawyer, Akinrata Adelanke, the witness told the court during the hearing that at the point of his release after spending six months in EFCC custody, he requested for his phones but that the EFCC only gave him his Samsung Note 9 and  told him that the Samsung S7H is no where to be found and they asked him to enter into a plea bargain, which he turned down since he did not commit any offence.

He told the court that after telling the EFCC officials that he knows nothing about the alleged fraud that his name was just used for Credit card fraud he requested that he be brought before the primary suspect, Jerry Shepherd so he could be identified to clear their doubts but they turned down his request.

Ironically, documents front loaded before the court certified as true copy by the EFCC showed the confessions of the Prime suspect, Durowoju Oluwatosin as follows:

“The name of my pickin is Bola. He is the one that usually collect identity card of Abiodun David who now lives in Abeokuta. The 85 million dollar Bank of America cheque is fake and made by me to deceive. Jerry Shepherd and Adesimoye Victor fake name we use as an identity”.