Dud Cheque: EFCC Docks Suspected Land Racketeer
Olatomide Ajigi
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Monday, arraigned one Olajide Dele Oyegbami, before Justice A. A. Aderemi of the Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan, on a 2-count charge bordering on issuance of dud cheque.
Oyegbami, an alleged serial land racketeer who was recently arraigned for a similar offence was docked following the conclusion of investigation on a petition alleging that he sold a plot of land to the petitioner sometime in October 2015.
Few weeks after the purchase of the plot of land, and construction work had commenced, Oyegbami allegedly instructed the petitioner to stop work claiming that a woman (one Mojirade Adesokan) was in court over the said plot of land adding that, he didn’t know anything about the land dispute until November 2015.
Investigation however revealed that Oyegbami was privy to the case instituted by Adesokan and actually collected money for the sale of the said plot of land notwithstanding the restraint order placed on it by court.
The petitioner, having invested about N4million on the land in dispute, approached Oyegbami for a refund, but the defendant after much pressure issued two separate cheques for N1million and N1.5million which upon presentation at the bank were dishonoured by due to insufficient funds in the account.
The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge pressed against him.
In view of his plea, counsel to EFCC, Cosmas O. Ugwu, prayed the court for a trial date. But, the defence counsel, S. O. Sanni, informed the court that he had a pending application dated January 4, 2017 which was filed in court and served on the prosecuting counsel same date.
Moving the application, Sanni prayed the court to admit his client to bail.
Justice Aderemi granted bail to the accused in the sum of N200,000 (two hundred thousand naira) with two sureties in like sum. The sureties who must be civil servants working in the state, not be below salary grade level 10.
The case has been adjourned to February 27- 28 and March 1, 2017 for trial.