Police Arraign Chartered Accountant, Mother for Defrauding Stockbroker, Ololo of N1.07bn, $975,102.58

Wale Igbintade

Police from the Force Criminal Investigation Department (ForceCID) Annex, Alagbon, Ikoyi, Lagos, yesterday arraigned a chartered accountant, Omafume Augustina Ayinuola and her mother, Lydia Abosede Ehrievuyere, before a Federal High Court, in Lagos for allegedly defrauding a Nigerian stockbroker and entrepreneur, Peter Ukuoritsemofe Ololo, and his companies of N1, 072, 254 411 and $975, 102.58 respectively.

They were arraigned alongside their company, Patridia Resources Limited, before Justice Nicholas Oweibo, on a 15-count charge bothering on conspiracy, unlawful conversion of funds, money laundering and fraud.

The prosecutor, Morufu Animashaun, while arraigning the defendants, told the court that they perfected the alleged offences between years 2017 and 2021, at Trailer Park, Agbara, Lagos.

Animashaun, told the court that the defendants, committed the alleged fraud against some companies, which include: Oritsetimeyin Logistics Limited, PUO Assets Limited, Resolution Capital Limited, Pine Petosan Limited, Grace Capital Ltd, RSL International Limited, RSL Ventures Capital Limited, Grace & Mercy Capital Limited, Grace Assets Limited and and Peter Ukuoritsemofe Ololo.

He further told the court that the funds allegedly stolen by the defendants were meant for the purchase and supplies of consumables for the listed companies.

He further told the court that the first defendant, (Omafume), while working with the companies listed above, used her position, and unlawfully converted various sum of money amounting to the total sum of N1, 072, 254, 411 and $975, 102.58, to her personal purse.

He also told the court that the second defendant and her company, Abosede Ehrievuyere and Patridia Resources Limited, concealed the origin of the funds, which they allegedly received from the first defendant, Augustine Omafume Ayinuola.

He further informed the court that the second defendant, Lydia Abosede Ehrievuyere, used parts of the funds to purchase and developed her family house located at 14, Irawodidia Street, Obadore, Off LASU Road, Igando, Lagos.

Animashaun, told the court that the alleged offences contravened Sections 8(a); 7 (1) (b)(i); 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006, and punishable under Sections 1 (3) and 7 (2)(b) of the same Act.

When the charge was read to them, both the mother and the daughter pleaded not guilty.

Following their not guilty plea, the prosecutor urged the court to remand them at the Kirikiri female section of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS), till the determination of the charge.

But lawyer to the two defendants, Mr. J. O. Oladeji, informed the court that he had filed his clients’ bail applications and same have been electronically served on the prosecutor yesterday.

He pleaded with the court, to allow him move the application and admit his clients to bail.

However, the prosecutor, Mr. Animashaun, opposed the hearing the bail application, saying that he needed time to respond to some issues raised in the applications.

Thereafter, Justice Oweibo, adjourned the matter till August 23, for hearing of the bail applications.

The court also ordered the remand of the two defendants at the Kirikiri center of the NCoS.