A Federal High court sitting in Lagos have granted bail to two men- Taiwo Adeyinka and Johnson Oluwasegun who were dragged to court by the Special Fraud Unit of Nigeria Police for obtaining money under false pretense.
The accused were arraigned before Justice Muslim Sule Hassan on Monday for defrauding a betting firm, Winners Golden Belt while in the employment of the company as agents.
Police said the accused diverted the sum of N8m belonging to the betting firm for the personal use, an offense which is contrary to section 8(a) and 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other related offences Act and punishable under section 1(3) of the Act.
The charge against the defendants reads, “that you, Taiwo Adeyinka and Johnson Oluwasegun Derrick between October 2016 and March 2017 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this honourable court while in the employment of Winners Golden Belt with head office in Lagos did conspired among yourselves to commit a felony for obtaining the sum of N8,000,000 and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 8(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other related offences Act, No.14 2006 and punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act”
The defendants were remanded in prison when they were first arraigned in court on the 26 of March, pending their bail applications.
At the resumed hearing of the bail application on Thursday, the defendants’ counsel urges the court to grant his client bail on liberal terms, arguing that bail remains the constitutional rights of every accused pending until otherwise is proved.
The police did not oppose the bail application, but rather urge the court to impose conditions that will secure the presence of the defendants for their trial.
In his short ruling, Justice Hassan granted bail to the defendants in the sum of N10m each with two sureties in like sum. The judge also ordered that the surety must have landed property owner within the jurisdiction of the court.
The defendants were to be remanded in prison custody pending fulfilment of their bail conditions.