Alleged N53.6m Internet Fraud: Court Fixes October 10 For Trial

A Lagos State High Court
sitting at Igbosere has adjourned further hearing in a N53.6 million internet fraud charge preferred against five men to October 10.
Justice C.A. Balogun said the adjournment was to allow judges and other members of the Bar and Bench to participate in the activities marking the 2013/2014 state’s Legal Year which began on Monday.
The accused,  Chris Nwaigwe, 34; Farouk Balogun, 28; Fawas Animashaun, 29; Damilola Ali, 28; and Olasunkanmi Banire, 27, are being tried for internet fraud, forgery and obtaining money under false pretences.
The Tide reports that at the last hearing of the case, Mr Babatunde Shittu of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, had told the court that the accused were arrested following a petition by one Mr Kabiru Sanni, a Bureau de Change operator.
“We told Mr Sanni to organise a meeting with the first accused at an eatery in Lekki where we arrested him and took him to his house at No. 13, Bamgbala St., Elegushi, Lagos.
“When we got to his residence, we recovered two laptops, two internet modems (swift and spectranet) and a laptop charger which we took to our office along with the accused.
“Various documents were also printed from the laptops which the accused appended their signatures on along with statements which they wrote,” he said.
According to the charge sheet, the accused had on April 27, 2012, within the Ikeja Judicial Division obtained the sum of 210,000 dollars (N53.57 million) from one Sani Kabiru under the pretext of purchasing land in Lekki-Ajah, Lagos, for him which his partner, Mr Virgo, paid into his account.