Court Remands Fake Spiritualists For Defrauding Couple Of N675m

Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja on Tuesday remanded three spiritualists in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services for allegedly defrauding a couple of the sum of N675 million.

Justice Taiwo ordered that the defendants: Morufu Yahya Adewale, Omitogun Ajayi and Ajisegiri Abiodun be kept behind bars after they were arraigned before her by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)

The alleged fraudsters were docked before the court on a two-count charge of conspiracy and obtaining money by false pretences from a medical doctor, Lateef Olademeji Bello and his wife.

According to the EFCC, the offence violated Section 1(1)(a) and (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, No.14 of 2006.

The anti-graft agency also maintained that the offence is contrary to Section 410 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, No. 11 of 2011.

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The EFCC counsel, Nkereuwen Anana had earlier informed the judge that the defendants sometimes in May 2018 allegedly obtained the sum of N675 million from their victims for the purpose of conducting prayers, spiritual cleansing of their son and the family and the money will be refunded after the prayers.

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge after it was read to them by the court’s registrar.

After their plea, Anana urged the court for a trial date and that the defendants be remanded in a correctional facility.

Responding to the prosecutor’s request, the defence lawyers, Omitogun Ajayi and Ajisegiri Abiodun and Olalekun Ojo (SAN) informed the court that they had filed separate bail applications on behalf of their clients.

But the lawyers asked the court for a short adjournment to enable them respond to a counter-affidavit filed by the prosecution

After listening to the lawyers, Justice Taiwo adjourned the matter to March 23 and directed that the defendants be remanded at the Ikoyi correctional facility.