The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Ilorin Zonal Office on Wednesday, October 2, 2019 re-arraigned a 32 year-old man, Abolarin Kayode, before Justice Sikiru Oyinloye of Kwara State High Court, sitting in Ilorin, the state capital.

Kayode was arraigned on seven-count charges, bordering on internet fraud and other fraud-related offences.

News Express reports that the defendant was initially arraigned sometime in February 2019 before Justice Babagana Ashigar of Federal High Court, Ilorin but absconded after he was granted bail.

However, in August EFCC operatives traced him to Government Reserved Area (GRA) Ilorin where he was rearrested.

One of the charge reads: “That you, Abolarin Kayode (alias Lauren Saint) on or about the 6th day of February 2019, in Ilorin within the jurisdiction of the High Court of Kwara State, with intent to defraud, had in your possession a document containing false pretence, to wit, an email titled “Paid to drive initiative by your Budweiser,” which you sent to one Chad Bakichan American citizen through your acclaimed email laurensaint345@gmail.com, a representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 6 read along with Section 8 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under Section 1 of the same Act.”

On his re-arraignment today, he pleaded not guilty to the charges, prompting prosecution counsel, Nnaemeka Omewa, to ask the court for a trial date and for him to be remanded in prison custody.

In his response, counsel to the defendant, Mr I. Abdulazeez pleaded with the court to remand his client in the custody of the EFCC, which was refused by the judge.

Justice Oyinloye adjourned the matter to October 17, 2019 and ordered that the defendant be remanded in prison.

In a related development, Justice Patricia Ajoku of the Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, also today, ordered that one Onifade Gideon Idowu be remanded in prison pending when a case of alleged fraud filed against him is decided.

The accused was arraigned by EFCC, Ibadan Zonal Office, on a five-count charge bordering on forgery, fake representation, obtaining money under false pretence and internet-related offences.

He was said to have explored the internet, through series of fake representations, to illegally receive over N30 million and other sums in foreign currencies from victims of his fraudulent activities across the world.

One of the charges reads: “That you Onifade Gideon Idowu (a.k.a Melina Seekng, Melina Shelly James) sometime between the year 2017-2019 at Ibadan, Oyo State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court took possession of the sum of N30,000,000 (Thirty Million Naira) paid into your account with UBA Bank Plc with account number - 2091840941 when you reasonably ought to have known that the said funds formed part of the proceeds of an unlawful activity of wit: fraud, and thereby committed an offence to section 15 (2)(d) of the MoneyLlaundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011 as amended and punishable under section 15 (3) of the same Act.”

Due to the not-guilty plea, counsel to the EFCC, Murtala Usman, prayed the court for trial date and order to remand the defendant in prison custody.

The judge granted the prayer as he adjourned the case to November 4, 2019 for trial, and ordered that Onifade be remanded in the Agodi prison.

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