Man Milked FAN Milk, LG of N17m – Police

Ladipo Sanusi/

Detectives at the Special Fraud Unit (SFU) in Lagos have arraigned a man, who allegedly defrauded Fan Milk Nigeria Plc and the Ibadan North-West Local Government of up to N17million.

Akinyemi Sunday Olusegun, 45, was arraigned before Justice Abdulazeez Anka of the Federal High Court, in Lagos. He is facing a four-count criminal charge of forgery, obtaining money under false pretence and fraudulent conversion

Between 2012 and 2016, Akinyemi and other persons at large allegedly obtained the sum of N17 million from Fan Milk Nigeria Plc as payment for tenement rate with the pretext of remitting the money into the coffers of Ibadan North-West Local Government, in Oyo State.

He also allegedly fraudulently forged several letters of Authority and demand notices bearing letter head papers of Ibadan North-West Local Government, and presented same as genuine, to the prejudice of Fan Milk plc.

The police also alleged that the accused converted the sum of N17 million being money fraudulently realised from Fan Milk as tenement rate on behalf of Ibadan North-West Local Government with the aim of concealing the illicit origin of the fund.

The offences according to the prosecutor, Mr. S. E. Ekon, are contrary to Section 8(a), 1(1)(a), of Advance Fee Fraud, And Other Related Offences Act, Cap. 2006; and section 15 (1) (a) and (b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended, and punishable under section 1(3) of the same law.

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge and his counsel, Mr. Nicholas Akabueze urged the court to admit him to bail in the most liberal terms. The application was not opposed by the prosecutor.

Justice Anka after hearing the bail application, admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N20 million with two sureties who must be civil servants.

One of the sureties must be of the rank of Assistant Director, while the other should be a civil servant not below level 14.

The judge further ordered that both sureties should submit copies of their letter of promotion with two recent passport photographs, while documents submitted must be verified by the court Deputy Registrar.

The matter has been adjourned till after vacation for trial.

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