Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos has adjourned the trial of one Osita Ojeah, and his company, Homeland and Overseas Limited for an alleged N139 million fraud till August 18, 2022 for adoption of final written address.
Ojeah is being prosecuted by the Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC alongside one Anthony Nwosu on a two-count charge bordering on stealing and conspiracy to steal contrary to Sections 278(1)(a), 285 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
He was first arraigned on Monday, November 30, 2020 and he pleaded “not guilty” to the charges.
One of the counts read: “Osita Ojeah, Anthony Nwosu and Homeland and Overseas Ltd., on or about the 3rd of February 2016 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, dishonesty stole and converted the sum of N139, 000,000, property of Virgin Forest Nigeria Limited.”
At the proceedings on August 4, 2022 the prosecuting counsel, Folashade Giwa, presented a witness through whom more documents were admitted against the defendants.
The witness, Ronke Sulaiman, an oper of the EFCC, told the court that sometimes in June 2022, an investigation was carried out on the defendant’s account and the said amount was traced in tranches from Zenith bank, Access bank and Sterling bank to it.
“After all the money got to the defendant account, N30 million was later transferred back to the complainant’s account,” Sulaiman said.
The account statements from the three banks were thereafter, admitted in evidence as exhibit E (for Access Bank), exhibit F (for Sterling Bank), and exhibit H (for Zenith Bank).
After cross-examination by Henry Isiekwe, counsel for the defendants, the defence closed its case.
“We will be asking the court for a date to file our written addresses,” he said.
Thereafter, Justice Taiwo adjourned the matter until August 18, 2022.