Court remands banker in EFCC custody over alleged #80m fraud

By Bartholomew Madukwe

A Katsina State High Court has remanded in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, a banker, Kolapo Oduwole, following his arraignment on a six-count charge of forgery and fraud in the sum of N80,000,000 (Eighty Million Naira only).

Oduwole was accused to have forged signatures of Relationship Manager of the Bank on three fixed deposits certificates and presented same to some customers and subsequently got the customers to fix their money in fixed deposit accounts controlled only by him.

9jreporters gathered that after the money was fixed, the accused transferred it into various accounts to conduct his personal businesses.

One of the charges read that “You Kolapo Oduwole on the 3rd March, 2020 at Katsina, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court forged a certain document to wit: Re: Investment of (N80,000,000) Eighty Million Naira Only with intent to cause damage to one Abubakar Mohammed by making him to believe that you had placed the money in a fixed deposit with the bank and you thereby committed an offense contrary to section 340 and punishable under section 341 of the Penal Code Law of Katsina State 2019."

When the six-count charge was read to the accused, he pleaded not guilty.

In view of his plea, prosecution counsel, Aisha Tahar Habib, requested the court for a trial date and that the defendant be remanded in the Commission’s custody as he is still under investigation.

Defence counsel, M.M Rimaye, did not object to the prosecution’s application.

The trial judge, Justice Musa Danladi, granted the request of the prosecution counsel and adjourned the matter till October 12, 2020 for commencement of trial.