• Agency hands over recovered N263m to Kwara govt
• Remands oil marketer over alleged forgery, takes custody of suspected oil thieves

A mini-coffin suspected to contain fetish materials was found with a 38-year-old suspected internet fraudster, Azeez Adebowale, when operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) raided his house in Ibadan on Monday.

Adebowale, who claimed to be using the coffin as soap rack, was among the six persons arrested following weeks of piecing together intelligence received about their alleged involvement in internet fraud.

The suspects, which included a lady, Toyinsola Bolumole, were picked up by men of the commission’s Ibadan zonal office at locations around Oluyole and Alao-Akala estates. Others are Ifelowo Ololade, Sonuyi Ayodeji, Folarin Oladele Olayinka and Aluko Olawale.

Items recovered from them include four cars, various brands of sophisticated phones and an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) card.Meanwhile, the Ilorin Zonal Office of the EFCC yesterday handed over N263,327,800 to the Kwara State government. The money, which was recovered by the EFCC following painstaking investigations, was handed over to the state governor, Abdulrahaman Abdul-Razak, by the head of the zone, Isyaku Sharu, at the EFCC office in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

Sharu revealed that the money was recovered from suspected looters of the state’s treasury. Receiving the recovered fund, the governor promised to utilize the money judiciously.

He said: “The money I received today is N263,327,800, while the last recovered fund was N210 million. This fund will be used to augment the budget, for social development and the remaining will be used for paying state government debt to the federal government on the SME programme.”

In another development, the Nigerian Army has handed over two suspected oil thieves and a truck to the Uyo zonal office of the EFCC for further investigation and possible prosecution. The suspects, Patience David, 38; and Iniebong Udo Etim, 32; were arrested by officers of 2 Brigade Nigerian Army during a routine patrol on March 2, 2020 at about 10:50a.m. in Awa junction, Onna Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State.

Also, an oil marketer, Ayodeji Oluokun, has been arraigned before a Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos State, over an alleged forgery and altering of document. Justice Sherifat Sholebo has however ordered that the oil marketer, who is also a pastor, be remanded at the Kirikiri facility of Nigerian Correctional Services (NCS), pending the fulfillment of the bail conditions granted him after he pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Ayodeji was arraigned before the court on three counts charge of forgery by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The EFCC alleged that the defendant with intent to defraud, forged his resignation from the board of a petroleum firm with the intent to defraud.

The anti-graft agency alleged that the defendant with the intent to defraud altered a false document titled: “Resignation from the board of Petroleum Industries Nigeria Limited” dated July 12, 2005.

The prosecution said his offence of making the document without authority is contrary to Section 473, 467, 468 of the Criminal Code Cap C17, Lagos State of Nigeria 2003.

Following his plea of not guilty to the charge, prosecution counsel, Mr. M. Ofoma, prayed the court for a trial date and asked that the defendant be remand in correctional facility.