Bizman Re-Arraigned For Alleged N84m Fraud
Kemisola Oye
A businessman, Edrian Osagie Ididia, had been re-arraigned over an alleged fraud of Eighty-Four Million Naira (N84,000,000.00) by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before a Lagos Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja.
Ididia was re-arraigned before Justice Ismail Ijelu on two counts charge bordering on alleged obtaining by false pretence and stealing.
The defendant was sometime in 2022 arraigned before Justice Serifat Solebo (now retired) and he was granted bail.
However, at the resumed hearing today, counsel to the EFCCl, Mr Ebuka Okongwu, prayed the court to allow the two amended counts charge dated 25 November 2021 to be read to the defendant to take his plea.
His prayer for re-arraignment was not opposed by the defendant’s counsel, Mr Dada Awosika (SAN).
Ididia was therefore re-arraigned on a two-count charge of fraud and stealing of the N84 million.
The EFCC alleged that Ididia obtained the money in September 2019 by false pretence contrary to sections 1(1) and 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act No. 14 of 2006.
He was alleged to have obtained the said sum ‘with intent to defraud’ one Mark David Umeh on the false representation that he had three Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) for sale knowing fully well that his claim was false.
His offence of stealing is said to be contrary to sections 278 and 285 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, No 11, 2011.
He pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Part of the charge read that, Adrian Osagie Ididia between 13 September 2019 and 29 October 2019 at Lagos within the court jurisdiction dishonestly stole and converted to his use, the sum of N84,000,000.00 property of Mr Mark David Umeh.
Following his plea of not guilty, EFCC counsel prayed the court to remand the defendant in a correctional facility and also fixed a date for trial.
In his submission, defence counsel, Awosika, told the court that he had filed a bail application. It’s dated 2 May. He prayed the court to allow his client to continue on the bail earlier granted by the retired Justice Solebo.
He submitted that the defendant did not at any time violate the conditions of the bail granted and he has always been in court.
He told the court to admit the defendant to bail, adding that he had been granted bail by a Federal High Court in a similar matter.
He maintained that the defendant was ready to stand trial and he would not jump bail if granted by the court.
However, the EFCC counsel objected to the application. Okongwu submitted that the defendant worked in a construction company in Canada and that he has a Canadian passport.
“He does not even live in the address he wrote in the statement. The address was traced on Google and it was discovered that it was a shot-let apartment.”
He added that the defendant has no residential address for the Commission to trace him.
Awosika (SAN) however responded that the defendant resides in Benin and that his international passport was deposited at the Federal High Court in another matter. The counsel therefore undertakes to bring the defendant at the next adjourn date, praying the court to release the defendant to him with a commitment to get his family to prepare for his bail bond.
After listening to both counsel, Justice Ijelu fixed 23 May for ruling on the bail application but released the defendant to Awosika (SAN) and produce him in court on next adjourn date.
Eighteen-Eleven Media
