EFCC arraigns one in Yola for N12.5m oil fraud

Glory Ebomah

The Gombe Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned one Festus Agbomodion before Justice A.M. Anka of the Federal High Court, sitting in Yola, Adamawa State.

He was arraigned on Thursday, January 24, 2024, on two counts bordering on intent to defraud and obtaining under false pretence to the tune of N12,500,000.00 (Twelve Million Five Hundred Thousand Naira only).

Count one read: That you Festus Agbomodion on or about 2nd of January, 2019 at Yola, Adamawa State, within the Jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, with intent to defraud did obtain the sum of N12,500,000 (Twelve Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira only) from one Mr Johnson Seun Femi under the false pretence that the said sum was meant for the supply of two trucks of diesel to Bretrogeen Enterprises Limited (A limited liability Company) which you knew to be false and hereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1)(a) and punishable in Section 1(3) of Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006.

Another read: That you Festus Agbomodion and Okeke Magnus sometime on or about 2nd of January, 2019 at Yola, Adamawa State, within the Jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, did retain the sum of N12,500,000 (Twelve Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira only) from one Mr Johnson Seun Femi as money for the supply of two trucks of diesel to Bretrogeen Enterprises Limited (A limited liability Company) knowing or reasonably ought to have known that such fund formed part of a proceed of unlawful activity to wit, obtaining by false pretence and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 15 (2)(d) and punishable in Section 15(3) of the Money Laundering Act, 2011.

Given his plea of ” not guilty”, prosecution counsel, M.O..Labaran prayed the court for a trial date while the defence counsel, S.O. Akporido informed the court of an existing bail application for the defendant.

According to Head, Media and Publicity, EFCC, Dele Oyewale, Justice Anka thereafter granted the defendant bail for Five Million Naira and one surety in like sum. The surety must be resident and own a landed property in the defendant’s community

The judge remanded him in Adamawa Correctional Centre pending fulfilment of his bail conditions and adjourned the matter to February 29, 2024, for trial.