The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Lagos Zonal office, on Wednesday, November 7, 2018 arraigned one Kayode Kikiowo before Justice Sherifat Solebo of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos on a five-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence, forgery and use of false documents to the tune of N6,740,000 (Six Million Seven Hundred and Forty Thousand Naira) only.
The defendant was said to have presented himself as a registered Customs Clearing Agent to the complainant, Izegaegbe Ehikhueme and assured him that he could help him to clear his 40-feet container carrying vehicles for the sum of N5, 900,000.However, the defendant was said to have collected in all, the sum of N6,740,000 from the complainant.
Investigations revealed that all the documents used to transact the business were forged by the defendant.
One of the counts reads: "That you, Kayode Kikiowo, sometime in the year 2017 at Lagos within the Lagos judicial division, with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N6,740, 000 (Six Million, Seven Hundred and Forty Thousand Naira) from one Izegaegbe Ehikhueme by falsely representing to him that you are a Registered Customs Clearing Agent and that the sum was for the clearing of his 40 feet container carrying vehicles which pretence you knew to be false."
He pleaded not guilty to the charge.
In view of his plea, the prosecution counsel, Franklin Ofoma, prayed the court to present his witnesses, who were present in court at today's sitting.
In his testimony, the first prosecution witness, Mohammed Aminu Thuwang, an operative of the EFCC, told the court that the defendant confessed to have collected the money from the complainant in his statement, which was written by his lawyer, Babalola Garuba, on his authority. The petition and the confessional statement were tendered and admitted in evidence by the court.
Also, two letters written by the Commission to the defendant's bank as well as their responses were tendered and admitted in evidence by the court.
The court also admitted in evidence a copy of the letter to SIFAX Group of Company and Cargo Handling Service Limited as well as their responses, which confirmed the documents to be forged.Another prosecution witness, Adedayo Adebowale, a staff of SIFAX Group of Company, told the court that he works in the company to generate invoice for customers.
Adebowale, who is the second prosecution witness, PW2, narrated to the court how EFCC investigators came to his office to verify some documents, which he said were discovered to be fake.
Under cross-examination by the defence counsel, Titilola Lanpejo, the witness told the court that the defendant collected a sum of N6.7 million from the complainant. The witness also confirmed that the container had not yet been cleared. Consequently, Justice Solebo adjourned the matter to November 14, 2018 and ordered the defendant to be remanded in prison custody.One more photo below.
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