An Ikeja Special Offences Court on Monday ordered that a man, Bolarinwa Oluwasegun be remanded for allegedly impersonating an army general and defrauding two companies of N266 million.
Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo ordered that Oluwasegun be remanded in Ikoyi Correctional Centre, pending hearing in the bail application.
Justice Taiwo adjourned the case until April 14.
Reports state that the defendant had pleaded not guilty to the 13-count-charge bordering on obtaining money under false pretences, forgery and possession of document containing false pretences.
Earlier, the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) persecution counsel, Mr Abbas Muhammed urged the court to remand the defendant pending hearing in his bail application.
“We received a summon for bail dated April 8.
“While we are still within time to respond, we urge the court to remand the defendant, pending our response and hearing in the bail application.”
The EFCC alleged that the defendant falsely presented himself as a General in the Nigerian Arny and collected N266,500 million from Kodef Clearing Resources Ltd and DE-Rock Marine Resources Ltd.
Muhammed also alleged that the defendant with the intent to defraud , paraded himself as a General in the Nigerian Army and obtained N247,500 Million from Kodef Clearing Resources Limited.
“The defendant obtained the money under false pretext that the money represented part of the amount expended to press and process his upcoming appointment as the Chief Of Army Staff of the Nigerian Army, a representation he knew to be false.”
The prosecution also alleged that the defendant obtained N19 million from De-Rock Marine Resource Ltd.
Muhammed told the court that the defendant committed the offence in 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018 and 2017 in Lagos.
He submitted that the defendant allegedly forged a Letter of Appointment as Chief of Army Staff” dated May 20, 2020 and purportedly said the document emanated from the Presidency.
He also alleged that the defendant forged a Nigerian Army Identity Card with serial number 387140.
The defendant was also alleged to have been in possession of a forged certificate of confirmation, dated Nov. 7, 2018, purporting same to have emanated from the Nigerian Army Headquarters.
The prosecution said the alleged offence contravened the provisions of sections 1(3) and 6 of Advanced Fee Fraud and other Related Offenses, 2006 and 363 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015
The defence counsel, Mr Kayode Lawal, prayed the court for a date to move his client’s bail application, adding that the defendant had earlier produced a surety on the orders of the commission.
“We have been told by the commission to produce a surety and we have complied.
“The defendant has been in detention since Jan. 12.
“We made several attempts to make the defendant get administrative bail.
“This is the only option for the defendant to ensure his fundamental constitutional rights my Lord Sir,” Lawal said.