The Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) brought charges against a couple, Oriyomi Idowu and Ruth Idowu, on Tuesday, before Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos. The charges include 20 counts related to offenses such as obtaining money by false pretense, money laundering, stealing, retention of stolen property, and forgery, amounting to a staggering N2,757,188,000 (Two Billion, Seven Hundred and Fifty-Seven Million, One Hundred and Eighty-Eight Naira) only.
The couple faced charges alongside entities such as Food Commodity Processing Enterprise, Bonway Food Processing Company Limited, Samee Idowu Company Limited, and Farmex Integrated Companies Limited, all belonging to Ruth Idowu.
Among the counts presented before the court, one highlighted an alleged act by the defendants in 2023, stating: “Ruth Sameeha Idowu, aka Loiry Ventures, Oriyomi Kabeer Idowu, aka Yocli Ventures, Food Commodity Processing Enterprise, Bonway Food Processing Company Ltd, Samee Idowu Company Limited, Farmex Integrated Companies Limited, sometime in 2023 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court, converted the sum of N10,000,000 to purchase a GLK Benz, purchase sum derived from converting the sum of N500,000,000 belonging to Creditpro Business Support Services with the aim of disguising the illegal origin of the funds.”
Another count accused them of dishonestly retaining the sum of N936,619,876 (Nine Hundred and Thirty-Six Million, Six Hundred and Nineteen Thousand, Eight Hundred and Seventy-Six Naira) only in a UBA bank account, funds allegedly fraudulently obtained from Creditpro Business Support Services.
Upon the reading of the charges, the defendants entered a plea of “not guilty.” In response, the prosecution counsel, Bilikisu Buhari, requested a trial date and urged the court to remand the defendants at a Correctional Facility.
- Onwubuya, counsel to the first defendant, informed the court of a pending bail application yet to be served on the prosecution. He sought to remand the defendants in EFCC custody, requesting a short adjournment for the hearing and determination of the bail application.
In objection, Buhari pointed out that the EFCC holding facility was overstretched and emphasized that a Correctional Centre was the appropriate place following arraignment.
The presiding Judge, Justice Mojisola Dada, noted the absence of a bail application for the second defendant, whose counsel, J.J. Ogunyemi, had not filed. Consequently, Justice Dada adjourned the matter until December 15, 2023, ordering the defendants to be remanded at the Correctional Centre “pending hearing and determination of their bail applications.”
