Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, on Thursday, January 19, 2023, admitted four documents tendered in evidence by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, against one Onarike Onagoruwa, who is being prosecuted on a three-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence and issuance of dud cheque.

One of the counts reads: "Onarike Obafemi Onagoruwa, on or about the 7th day of December 2018 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, and with intent to defraud, did obtain the sum of N5,000,000 (Five Million Naira only) from one Abiodun Adebowale under the pretence that you will invest the said sum in a coconut oil-based investment scheme with you on behalf of the said Abiodun Adebowale from where she would get a 30% interest on the capital investment after 12 months, a pretence you knew to be false.

Another count reads: "Onarike Obafemi Onagoruwa, on or about the 7th day of December 2018 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did obtain credit by issuing a Zenith Bank Plc cheque dated 7/12/2019 in the sum of N6, 500,000 only to Abiodun Adebowale, which cheque when presented for payment within three months of issuance was dishonoured due to insufficient funds in the account to cover the face value of the said cheque."

He pleaded "not guilty" to the charges, prompting the commencement of his trial.

At today’s proceedings, the victim, who testified as the first prosecution witness, PW1, narrated how the defendant had persuaded her to part with the sum of N5million for a purported coconut oil business, with the assurance of getting the sum of N6, 500,000 as return on investment.

Led in evidence by the prosecuting counsel, N.K. Ukoha, the victim also told the court that after receiving the N5million, the defendant had issued a post-dated cheque of N6, 500,000 to her.

According to the witness, the N6, 500,000 cheque issued was, however, not honoured by the bank when it was presented.

The witness said: "He stopped picking my calls and stopped coming to church. Eventually, I was able to reach him through his wife.

“He later said that he had 10 plots of land at Arepo, which he would sell to raise money and pay me back.”

It was, however, discovered that the said plots of land never existed.

Ukoha, thereafter, tendered in evidence the said cheque, the petition she wrote to the EFCC, and the two statements made to the EFCC in the course of the investigation.

There was no objection from the defence team led by Akeem Amusa.

The documents were admitted in evidence as Exhibit P to P3.

The case has been adjourned till March 10 and 17, 2023.

Media & Publicity

19 January, 2023