Alleged N19m Fraud: EFCC Re-arraigns Man in Lagos
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) re-arraigned Murtala Adebayo on January 28, 2025, before Justice R.A. Oshodi of a Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, for an alleged N19 million fraud.
Adebayo had previously been arraigned before Justice Mojisola Dada on January 24, 2024, facing a three-count charge, to which he pleaded “not guilty.” However, during the trial, a petitioner accused the defendant of using forged Corporate Affairs Commission documents and fake tax documents to secure bail from the court.
Due to this allegation, Justice Dada withdrew from the case, returning the file to the Chief Judge of the High Court, citing concerns over the integrity of the court. The case was then reassigned to Justice Oshodi to start fresh proceedings.
One of the counts against Adebayo states: “Murtala Adebayo, sometime in 2015 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N4,500,000 (Four Million Five Hundred Thousand Naira) from one Gafar Abiodun Ademolake by falsely representing to him that the payment was for three plots of land at Ogombo Ajah, Lagos, which representation you knew to be false.”
Another count reads: “Murtala Adebayo, sometime in 2019 at Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, obtained three cars—two Toyota Camry 2005 models and one Honda Accord 2006 model—valued at N9,000,000.00 from one Gafar Abiodun Ademolake by falsely representing to him that the payment was for the balance on 18 plots of land at Ayogbemi Village, Ibeju, Lekki, Lagos, a representation you knew to be false.”
The case is ongoing.
