EFCC Re-arraigns Businessman Over Alleged N84m Fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Monday re-arraigned a businessman, Adrian Ididia, over his alleged involvement in N84m fraud.

Ididia was re-arraigned before Justice Ismail Ijelu of the Lagos State High Court, in Ikeja.

The defendant was sometime in November 2021 first arraigned before Justice Serifat Solebo, now retired, and he was granted bail.

However, at the resumed hearing of the case on Monday, the EFCC counsel, Mr  Ebuka Okongwu, prayed the court to allow the two counts amended dated November 25, 2021, to be read to Ididia.

The defence counsel, Mr Dada Awosika (SAN), did not oppose the defendant re-taking his plea.

Ididia was therefore re-arraigned on two counts of obtaining by false pretence, fraud and stealing of the N84m, preferred against him by the EFCC.

He was alleged to have obtained the said sum, from one Mark  Umeh on false representation that he had three Sports Utility Vehicles for sale in September 2019, which he knew was false.

According to the EFCC, the offences committed contravened Sections 1 (1) and 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act No. 14 of 2006 and 278 and 285 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.

Ididia pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.

Sequel to his plea of not guilty, the EFCC counsel urged the court to remand the defendant to prison and also fix a date for trial.

In his submission, the defendant’s counsel, Awosika, told the court that he filed a bail application dated May 2, 2024, and then prayed the court to allow his client to continue on the bail earlier granted him by Justice Solebo.

Awosika told the court that the defendant did not at any time violate the bail granted him and he had always been in court.

He told the court to admit the defendant to bail as he had been granted bail by a Federal High Court in a similar matter.

The lawyer maintained that the defendant was ready to stand trial and that he would not jump bail if granted bail by the court.

But the EFCC counsel also informed the court that he filed a counter-affidavit to oppose the bail application.

Okongwu stated that the defendant worked in a construction company in Canada and that he had a Canadian passport.

“He does not even live in the address he wrote in the statement. The address was traced on Google and it was discovered that it was a Short Let apartment. So, he has no residential address for the commission to trace him,” he said.

In his response, Awosika stated that he resided in Benin, adding that his passport was deposited at the Federal High Court matter.

The counsel therefore undertook to bring him at the next adjournment date and prayed the court to release the defendant to him so that he would get his family to prepare for his bail bond.

After listening to both counsel, Justice Ijelu released Ididia to Awosika and fixed May 22, 2024, for ruling on the bail application.