EFCC Arraigns 77 Year Old Businesswoman, Others For N65m Fraud

EFCC Arraigns 77 Year Old Businesswoman, Others For N65m Fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday arraigned a 77 year-old businesswoman, Alhaja Mulikat Shonekan and two others before an Lagos High Court in Ikeja  for allegedly defrauding a company, Kuta Stones Limited  of N65 million.

The septgenerian was arraigned by the commission alongside Martins Ogiogwa and her company Mujekanm Petroleum Nig Coy Ltd on a five count charge of stealing and obtaining money by false pretence.

According to the EFCC the defendants on September 2008 fraudulently obtain the sum of N65million from Kuta Stones under the pretence of purchasing 90 acres of land located at Kemta Osun village in Odeda local government area of Abeokuta, Ogun State for the company.

The anti-graft agency also alleged that the defendant  collected the money from one of the directors of Kuta Stones Ltd, Mr Danladi Verheijen for the purchase but failed to deliver the property to the company three years after.

Alhaja Shonekan was also alleged to have issued a dud GTBank cheque of N5million through her company as repayment for the alleged N65million she collected from the company.

The offences according to the EFCC are punishable under Sections 390 of the criminal code laws of Lagos State and sections 1(1) of the dishonoured cheque offences act, laws of the federation of Nigeria, 2004.

However, the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges, a development which made Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye to granted Alhaja Shonekan bail in the sum of N5million with two sureties in like sum.

According to the judge one of the sureties must be a blood relation resident in Lagos with a three years tax clearance.

The court also granted the second defendant bail in the sum of N10million with two sureties, one of whom must be his blood relation.

Justice Ipaye further ordered that the septgenerian be remanded in EFCC custody while the second defenant be remanded in prisons custody.

The matter was adjourned till January 23, 2015 for trial.