Abdulazeez Abdulwahab
THE Lagos Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday, 12 November 2024, arraigned Heart Chidozie Obum on a five-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence and stealing to the tune of Seventy-Two Million, Six Hundred and Eighty-Nine Naira (N72,689,000) and Thirty-One Thousand, Two Hundred Pound (£31,200) before Justice Rahman Oshodi of a Lagos Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja.
Obum allegedly promised to help the petitioner get a certificate of sponsorship to travel abroad.
He, however, allegedly reneged on his promise after collecting money from the petitioner
One of the counts reads: “That you, Heart Chidozie Obum, sometime in 2023, and in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, by false pretence, and with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of Thirty-One Thousand, Two Hundred Pounds (£31,200) from Peace Asonye Udochukwu as payment for certificate of sponsorship.”
Another charge reads: “That you, Heart Chidozie Obum, sometime in 2023, and in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, dishonestly took the sum of Seventy-Two Million, Six Hundred and Eighty-Nine Naira (N72,689,000.00) from Peace Asonye udochukwu as payment of certificate of sponsorship.”
He pleaded “not guilty” to the charge preferred against him.
In view of this, the prosecution counsel, T. J. Banjo, prayed the court for an adjournment to enable the prosecution to prove its case against the defendant.
He also urged the court to remand the defendant in a correctional facility pending his trial date.
The defence counsel, O. Oluwashewu, however, informed the court of a pending application for bail for his client.
Consequently, Justice Oshodi adjourned till 3 December 2024 for the hearing of the bail application and also 19 and 20 February 2025 for trial.
The judge ordered the custodial remand of the defendant pending his trial date.
Eighteen-Eleven Media