By PAUL MICHAEL, ABUJA
A fake Army General, one Bolarinwa Abiodun, who is under trial by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for claiming to be nominated for the office of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) by President Muhammadu Buhari, thereby defrauding a Kodef Clearing Resources about N266.5m, has been denied bail by Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos.
Abiodun, who is undergoing prosecution on a 13-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence, forgery of documents, and possession of documents containing false pretence, among others, had earlier applied for bail. He, however, loses on the bail application on Monday, April 25.
The Court refused his bail application on the grounds that the prosecution was able to show that Abiodun was a flight-risk.
A statement on Tuesday by the EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren said, the Lagos Zonal Command of the EFCC, had, on April 11, 2022 arraigned the defendant on offences contrary to Section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006.
“Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, on Monday, April 25, 2022, dismissed the bail application filed by one Bolarinwa Abiodun, a fake Army General, who is being prosecuted on a 13-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence, forgery of documents, and possession of documents containing false pretence to the tune of N266, 500,000.
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“The Lagos Zonal Command of the EFCC, had, on April 11, 2022 arraigned the defendant on offences contrary to Section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006; Section 363 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015 and Section 6 of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Related Offences Act No 14 of 2006, respectively,” Uwujaren said.
The defendant is being accused of making false representations to the complainant, Kodef Clearing Resources, that the President Buhari, had short-listed him and one other to be appointed as the COAS and that he needed a short grant to “press and process the appointment.”
Abiodun, who was arrested at his house in the Alagbado area of Lagos State on Wednesday, January 12, 2022, also allegedly forged a letter of appointment as COAS purportedly signed by the President and showed the same to the victim to further prove his claim.
In the said letter, he claimed that he needed to pay a certain amount of money into the coffers of the Federal Government of Nigeria, as part of the requirements for the appointment as COAS.
Abiodun was also alleged to have, in May 2020, forged a Nigeria Army Identity Card with serial number 387140, claiming the same to have been issued to him from the Nigerian Army, and another forged Letter of Recommendation purportedly signed by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo recommending one Adebayo Rasaq Adebola, with recruitment No 77RRI/OG/556/0032555 and Adeogun Emmanuel Adesola with recruitment No 77RRI/OG/352/0123751 for employment into the Nigeria Army.
He is also accused of being in possession of a forged Certificate of Confirmation dated November 7, 2018, purporting the same to have emanated from the Nigerian Army Headquarters.
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