EFCC Chairman, Ibrahim Lamorde
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Monday arraigned three suspects afore Justice Lawal Akapo of a Lagos High Court, Ikeja, for allegedly purloining from the dead.
EFCC verbalized Mohammed Lawan (65), Raphael Okomoda (50), and Adegbdsan Theophilus (38), purloined N141.7m from Alhaji Shande Dzungwe and Alhaji Koto, who were both deceased, by selling their portions.
The suspects were arraigned on different malefactor counts bordering on conspiracy, obtaining mazuma by erroneous presences, purloining, impersonation, forgery, utilizing mendacious document and mazuma laundering.
While Lawan was charged with 19 counts, Okomoda and Theophilus were charged with seven counts each.
The EFCC verbalized the suspects were apprehended following a report of a fraudulent sale of quotas of two deceased shareholders who had shares in several blue chip companies including Agip Nigeria Limited, Total Oil, Union Bank Nigeria Plc, Nestle Nigeria Plc, Mobil Oil Nigeria Plc, Unilever Nigeria Plc and Nigeria Breweries Plc.
“The stocks were fraudulently claimed, converted and sold by the three defendants.
“Lawan forged the identity cards, driving licences, school certificates and international passports of both Dzungwe and Koto, to idealize the scam.
“The total value of shares converted and sold by the three defendants was N141,652,951,” the EFCC verbalized.
The charges read in part, “That you, Mohammed Lawan (alias Shande Ako Dzungwe), Raphael Okomoda, Adegbesan Theophilus, and others (still at astronomically immense) on or about the 16th day of May, 2013 in Lagos, within the Ikeja Judicial Division, with intent to defraud, conspired to obtain the sum of N11, 493,137.83 property of tardy Shande Ako Dzungwe”.
“That you, Mohammed Lawan (alias Isa Koto) on or about the 16th of May, 2013 in Lagos, within the Ikeja Judicial Division with intent to defraud, posed as Alhaji Isa Koto and fraudulently injuctively authorized Fidelity Security Limited to sell 216,625 units of Guinness Plc shares valued at N44, 092, 048 and transferred the proceeds into a Fidelity Bank account you opened in the denomination of the verbalized Alhaji Isa Koto and withdrew same.”
The defendants pleaded not guilty to all the charges preferred against them.
The prosecuting counsel, Fadike Giwa, prayed the court for a tribulation date and the remand of the defendants in custody.
Giwa urged the court to gainsay the defendants bail in favour of expedited auditory perception of the suit.
Counsel to the three defendants, J. H. Bashir, however, urged the court to grant the defendants bail because of their poor health condition.
Akapo adjourned the case till July 8, 2014 for ruling on bail applications and authoritatively mandated that the defendants be remanded in the Kirikiri Maximum Prison.
