The Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission, EFCC, on Monday, February 5, 2024, arraigned a 56-year-old car
dealer, Rasaq Abolaji Mumini and one other for selling a forfeited property
without due authorization and obtaining money under false pretence.
Specifically, Mumini and one Mrs Lawal Olawande Mariam were
arraigned on two- count charges before Justice Kamorudeen Olawoyin of the Oyo
State High Court sitting in Ogbomosho, Oyo State.
The defendants allegedly sold a property, which is under
attachment by the EFCC without lawful authorization. The said property, which
is a four-bedroom apartment, is situated at Dubere in Ogbomosho, Surulere Local
Government Area of Oyo State.
Count one of the charge reads:
“That you, Rasaq Abolaji, Lawal Olawande Mariam and others
still at large sometime in December 2022, at Ogbomosho, Oyo State within the
jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, without due authorization sold a Four
Bedroom Apartment situate at Dubere Area of Surulere Local Government Area of
Oyo State to Mrs Felicia Adeyemi at the sum of N13,500,000.00 (Thirteen
Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira Only) a property that was subject of
attachment by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and thereby
committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 32 (1) of the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act 2004”.
Investigations revealed that the second defendant (Lawal
Olawande Mariam), wife of the owner of the property, Mr. Adebayo Abiodun, was
said to have been introduced to Mumini through a friend with the aim of helping
her clean off the EFCC inscription on the property. The Commission marked the
apartment after it discovered that the property was acquired with proceeds of
unlawful activities.
Further investigations also revealed that Mumini obtained the
sum of N3,050,000 (Three Million, Fifty ThousandNaira Only) from Mrs. Mariam
under a false pretence that the money was demanded by the operatives of the
EFCC in order to clean the Commission’s inscription, “KEEP OFF EFCC UNDER
INVESTIGATION”, on the four-bedroom apartment.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges thereby
setting the stage for a trial.
Consequently, Justice Olawoyin ordered the remand of the defendants in the custody of the EFCC and adjourned till Monday, February 12, 2024, for hearing of their bail applications.
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