A 53-year-old civil servant, Oyawoye Fafemi, was arraigned by the Economic And Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ilorin zone, for allegedly defrauding 23 church members seeking employment.
This was disclosed in a statement by Wilson Uwujaren, head, media and publicity of the antigraft agency.
Fafami was arraigned before Justice Mohammed Sani of the federal high court, sitting in Ilorin on Monday on a four-count charge, bordering on employment and Hajj pilgrimage scam.
Fafemi was a staff of Kwara State ministry of finance who defrauding 23 church members.
The defendant was accused of collecting various sums of money from 23 members of the Christ Apostolic Church in Offa, Kwara state, under the guise of helping them secure employment in the Kwara State Civil Service Commission and federal government parastatals.
“Investigations revealed that Fafemi issued employment letters to her victims. The letters stated that her victims had been employed by Kwara State Government and Federal Government, with their grades and salaries stated,” the statement read.
“However, those letters were later discovered to be fake.
Charges read against the defendants revealed that Fafemi’s conspiracy began in 2019.
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“That you, Oyawoye R. Olajumoke Fafemi, between April and September 2019, in Ilorin, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, obtained the gross sum of N2,000,000.00 (Two Million Maria Only) from one Moronfoye Solomon Daramola under the pretence that you will secure government employment for his church members; a representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act,” the charge reads
“That you, OYAWOYE R. OLAJUMOKE FAFEMI, between the month of May and August 2019, in Ilorin, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, obtained the gross sum of N700,000.00 (Seven Hundred Thousand Naira Only) from one Adeoti Kamoru under the pretence that you will secure Hajj Pilgrimage visa for him; a representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.”
In response to these charges, Fafemi pleaded not guilty.
Based on her pleas, the prosecuting counsel, Andrew Akoja, urged the court to give a trial date to enable the prosecution to prove its case.
On his part, defence counsel, A.T Yusuf, however, prayed the court to grant his client bail, pending the hearing and determination of the case.
Justice Sani granted Fafemi bail in the sum of N2 million and two sureties in like sum. The defendant was ordered to deposit two of her passport photographs with the court.
The judge, however, adjourned the matter to November 17, 2022, for the commencement of trial.
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