Court Remands BDC Operator in Custody Over Alleged N144m Fraud

Wale Igbintade

A Federal High Court in Lagos State has ordered the remand of a Bureau De Change (BDC) Operator, Mr. Ibrahim Butali Abdulmumin, in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS) till November 21, when his trial over alleged N144 million fraud would commenced.

Justice Yellim Bogoro ordered the remand of the BDC operator after he pleaded not guilty to a two-count charge filed against him.

The charges bothered on obtaining by false pretense and unlawful conversion of the sum of N144 million.

During arraignment of the 41-year-old defendant, the prosecutor, Mr. Henry Obiaze, from the Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU) Ikoyi, Lagos, told the court that the defendant on January 20, 2022, by false pretence and with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N144 million, under the pretense of exchanging it to the sum $250,00 at N576 per dollar.

Obiaze, a deputy superin-tendent of police (DSP), also told the court that the defendant converted the said sum of N144 million, derived directly by participating in criminal activity of obtaining money by false pretenses, with the aim of either concealing or disguising the origin of the illicit money.

He told the court that the offences committed by the BDC operator, contravened Section 1(1) (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006. And section 15(1) (a) (b) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2011.

The defendant denied the allegations, and pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Following his plea of not guilty, the prosecutor asked the court for a trial date, and urged the court to remand the defendant in NCoS custody till the determination of the charge.

However, Counsel to the Defendant, Ms. Aminat Salawu, did not object to the trial date as requested by the prosecutor, she however, told the court that she needed a short date to file her client’s bail application.

Following the parties’ submissions, Justice Bogoro adjourned the matter till November 21, for trial, and ordered that the BDC operator be remanded in the custody of the NCoS.