The Lagos State Police Command has arraigned a fraud syndicate comprising eight men before the Federal High Court in Lagos for allegedly hacking into the server of an electronic platform, ITEX Integrated Services Limited, and stealing N435.3m.

The defendants including Aderuku Adedayo, Adigun Benjamin, Awopetu Tosin, Ajibade Ayomide, Ojo Olwaseun, Miller Oluwafemi, Olaleye Samuel and Ajibade Ayodeyi, are facing charges bordering on conspiracy, hacking, stealing and fraud preferred against them by the police.

The prosecutor, Morufu Animashaun, told the court that the defendants conspired among themselves and others now at large to commit the offences on September 7, 2022, at 1E, Sinari Daranijo Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.

He said the defendants jointly hacked the company’s server and defrauded the company of N435, 386, 699. 99.

The prosecutor told the court that the first defendant benefitted the sum of N29.9m, while the second defendant received N51m, with the third and fourth defendants benefitting N19m and N20m respectively from the alleged fraudulent acts.

Animashaun further told the court that the fifth to eighth defendants benefitted from the sums of N13m, N3m, N13m and N20m respectively.

He said the first, second, third, seventh and eighth defendants, after the alleged fraud, transferred parts of the money to some people in different banks.

According to the prosecutor, the offences committed contravened Sections 8(a), 1(1)(a), 2(a) and 7(2)(b)of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.

All the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Following the defendants’ not-guilty plea, the prosecutor asked the court to remand them till the determination of the charges against them.

But the defendants’ counsel, F. F. Abisagbo, told the court that he had filed his clients’ bail application and the same had been served on the prosecution.

The prosecutor, however, told the court that he had not been served with the application.

The court also confirmed that the defendants’ bail application was not before the court.

Consequently, Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa ordered that the defendants be remanded in the custody of Nigerian Correctional Services, and adjourned the case till April 27, for the commencement of trial.

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has sentenced a 51-year-old landlord, Saheed Ojomu, to five-year imprisonment for allowing his tenant to use his shop to warehouse cannabis.

Justice Daniel Osiagor handed down the sentence to the convict after he changed his not-guilty plea to guilty.

The convict was arrested over the banned substance found in one of his shops on March 31, 2017, by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.

During his arrest and arraignment, he claimed that the banned substance belonged to one of his tenants, Sakiru (now at large), and pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The charge read, “That you, Saheed Ojomu, 46, on or about March 31, 2017, at No. 1, Osho Street, Island, Lagos State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, being occupier and manager of a shop at No.1, Osho Street, Lagos Island, unlawfully permitted same to be used by one Sakiru (now at large) for the purpose of storing and dealing in 372.6 kilogrammes of cannabis sativa, a narcotic drug similar to cocaine, heroin and LSD, thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 12 of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, Cap. N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.”

During trial, the prosecution called two witnesses and tendered some exhibits, which the court admitted.

However, at the resumed trial of the convict on Wednesday, his counsel, Mrs Vivienne Ekwegh, informed the court that her client had decided to change his plea.

The prosecutor, Mrs N. J. Mamza, did not object to the application of the defence.

After listening to both counsel on the new development, Justice Osiagor ordered that the convict retake his plea.

After his plea was retaken, the prosecutor reviewed the facts of the case and urged the court to sentence the shop owner in accordance with relevant laws.

But counsel for the convict, Ekwegh, in her plea for mercy, described her client as a ‘victim of circumstances’, as he was unaware that his tenant warehoused the banned substance in his shop.

She, therefore, urged the court to award a fine option in lieu of a custodian sentence.

In his judgment, Justice Osiagor sentenced the convict to five-year imprisonment.

However, the judge ordered the convict to pay a fine of N300,000.

In addition to the monetary fine, the judge also ordered the convict to perform three weeks of non-custodian community service.

•As Judge Liquidates Company

As a result of his involvement in fraud to the tune of N2.9bn, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of IDID Nigeria Limited, Kenneth Amadi, was on Monday, convicted and sentenced to 18 months imprisonment, by Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa of a Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos.

The judge arrived at the decision, after finding him guilty of counts 4 and 5 of the criminal charge made against him by the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN), through the office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF).

Justice Allagoa, who also convicted Amadi, declared that the sentencing is without an option of fine, and equally ordered that IDID Nigeria Limited be liquidated with immediate effect.

It would be recalled that the day’s judgment was earlier slated to have been delivered on November 22, 2022, but the same was not ready, due to the very busy schedule of the court.

The convicted Amadi and his company, IDID Nigeria Limited, were dragged before the court by the FGN when he held sway as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Eunisell Limited, a company founded by Chief Chika Ikenga.

Prior to Justice Allagoa’s judgment, counsels had adopted their final written addresses on Tuesday, October 25, 2022.

Meanwhile, at the last proceeding on the criminal case, Justice Alagoa, had ruled against the no-case submission instituted by the convicted Amadi, questioning the N2.9bn fraud charge, slammed against him by the FGN.

In handing down his ruling, the judge held that the prosecution had raised issues that require the embattled ex-staff to proffer answers, prompting the court to order Amadi to open his defence.

Amadi had contended that the prosecution had not been able to make any prima-facie case against him and as such had no business being in court.

He then urged the court to strike out the criminal charge against him and accordingly acquit and discharge him without any further delay.

But responding, the prosecution, led by Mrs. Aderonke Imana, had insisted that Justice Allagoa should discountenance the prayers of the convcit, because a case has been made against him and that he ought to put up a defence. The prosecution then asked the court to order Amadi to open his defence.

Specifically, Amadi and his company, IDID Nigeria Limited, are were tried before the court on a five-count charge of conspiracy and fraud to the tune of N2.9 billion.

The convict was charged before the court on the offences bothering on obtaining by false pretence; forgery, unlawful fund conversation and fraud.

The offences which contravened sections Section 1 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act. Cap.A6, Lam of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act. Section 1(2)(c) of the Miscellaneous Offence Act, Cap. M17. Law of the Federation of Nigeria. 2004 and Punishable under the same Section of the Act.; Section 27 (b) of Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act, 2015 and punishable under Section 14 (1) of the same Act. And Sections 434 and 435 of the Criminal Code Act, Cap. C38 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and punishable under the same Section of the Act

One of the charges against the defendants include receiving and obtaining by false pretense, with intent to defraud, the sum of N2, 900,000,000 belonging to Eunisell Ltd, from A-Z Petroleum Ltd and AMMASCO International Ltd; omitting making full and true entry thereof in the books and accounts; suppression of data in respect of the financial transfer to Eunisell Ltd; and converting the same amount without authority to create sufficient deposits to promote the credibility of his own company (IDID Nigeria Limited).