The police in Lagos have arraigned a banker, Adebayo Ogunusi, before an Igbosere Magistrates Court, for allegedly defrauding 26 customers of the sum of N472, 353, 812 million in a foreign currency exchange scam.
Ogunusi was investigated by the Force Criminal Investigation Intelligence Department, Abuja, before he was charged to court on a 26-count charge of obtaining money under false pretence.
When the case came in court, the Presiding Magistrate, Mrs. F.O Botoku, said that fraud and fraudulent practices by bankers were becoming alarming because judges had not really made any erring banker a scapegoat.
According to the charge sheet marked B/33/2017, the defendant, whose address was not given, obtained sums of N472, 353,812 million from several customers under the pretext of assisting them to convert it to dollar equivalent.
Last November, the FCIID Lagos, arraigned Ogunusi over a similar charge bearing on N435 million fraud and arraigned him before Magistrate A. O. Awogboro of an Igbosere Magistrates’ Court.
The prosecutor, Sergeant Innocent Odugbo, told the court that the defendant committed the alleged fraud between May and August, 2016. He alleged that the customers trusted Ogunusi to procure dollars for them because he was a banker, but he swindled all of them.
Odugbo listed the names of the complainants and the sums they allegedly lost as follows: Abiodun Fari-Arole, N90 million; Subomi Okeowo, N27 million; Adetunji Lukman, N32.660 million; Gbenga Ogunrinola, N42.630 million; Kehinde Agbabiaka, N41.350 million; Segun Ogunjimi, N29.9 million; Sola Sanda, N25.650 million; Mufu Gbadamosi, N23.765 million; Kunle Ogunsanya, N16.5million; Muyiwa Teriba, N17.8 million; Afeez Olawale, N14.5 million; Francis Zakari, N19.992 million and David Adesanya, N11.6 million. Others are Kolawole Osundiya, N10.1 million; Segun Sodipo, N19.5 million; Engineer Wale Oduwole, N9.9 million; Tayo Akinyelure, N7.945 million; Tosin Osunkoya, N6.6 million; Dele Banjo, N5.8 million; Akinola Olamilekan, N3.4 million; Gboyega Durojaiye, N3.1 million; Supo Olowu, N4.650 million; Yemi Oshilaja, N2.950 million; First Vending Ltd, N2.9 million; Ibrahim Sokoto, N1.38 and from Afolabi Mabogunje, N792,000.
The prosecutor said that the offences were punishable under Section N312 (1) and (a) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011. Ogunusi denied all the charges.
One of the complainants, who pleaded not to be identified, said Ogunusi was a childhood friend with whom he attended the same primary and secondary schools as well as university.
He identified the defendant as a banker in an unnamed bank and said Ogunusi told them he had access to foreign exchange in his bank and that was why they trusted him enough to give him their money.
Magistrate Botoku granted Ogunusi N10million bail with two sureties in like sum. She also ordered the defendant to deposit his international passport. The case was adjourned to February 23 and 24 for trial.
