A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has remanded a Nigeria businessman, Chief Joseph Umezugha, at the Ikoyi Center of the Nigeria Correctional Services (NCoS) alleged forgery, giving false information to the police and obtaining the sum of N185 million by false pretence.
Justice Abimbola Awogboro, who presided over the case, ordered the remand of Chief Joseph Umezugha, after he was arraigned on the alleged criminal act.
The judge remand him in custody till Friday, November 15, when his bail application will be entertained.
Arraigning the defendant, the private prosecutor, Mr. Ibunkunoluwa Olu-Jacobs, who has the Inspector-General of Police’s ‘fiat’, to prosecute the matter told the businessman committed the offences sometimes in November 2021.
Mr. Ibunkunoluwa precisely told the court that the defendant committed the offence on November 24, 2021, when fraudulently obtained the sum of N185 million from some individuals.
He also told the court that the defendant also defamed some of the fraud victims and also gave false information to the police about them.
He told the court that the offences committed by the defendant contravened sections 125(a); 375 and 467 of the Criminal Code Act, Law of the Federation of Nigeria. And section 1(2) of Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act.
The defendant denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Following the defendant’s plea of not guilty, the prosecutor, Mr. Ibunkunoluwa, asked the court for a trial date, and urged the court to remand the defendant till the determination of the charge.
However, lawyer to the defendant, Professor D. O. Okafor, told the court that he had filed his client’s bail application and same has been served of the prosecutor. He urged the court to admit his client to bail in the most liberal terms.
Responding, the prosecutor told the court that he was being served with the application in court today, and that he needs time to filed his counter to the application.
Consequently, Justice Awogboro, in her ruling, adjourned the hearing of the bail application till Friday, November 15, while ordered that the businessman be remanded at the Ikoyi Center of the NCoS, till the hearing and determination of the bail application.
