Court remands ‘fake army general who forged Buhari’s signature to secure N266m grant’

A special offences court in Ikeja has ordered the remand of one Bolarinwa Abiodun over alleged N266,500,000 fraud.

The development comes months after Abiodun was arrested by operatives of the Lagos command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged impersonation as an army general.

Upon his arrest at his house in the Alagbado area of Lagos on January 12, six pump action guns, three cartridge bullets, a swagger stick and several forged documents were recovered.

Abiodun was arraigned on Monday before Oluwatoyin Taiwo, a judge, 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″.

According to a statement by the EFCC, the defendant allegedly posed as a general in the Nigerian Army and “made false representations to the complainant, Kodef Clearing Resources, that President Muhammadu Buhari had shortlisted him and one other to be appointed as the chief of army staff and that he needed a short grant to press and process the appointment”.

He 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,” the anti-graft agency said.

“Abiodun is also alleged to have, in May 2020, forged a Nigerian 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 Nigerian 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.

“He is also accused of being in possession of a forged document titled: Letter of Authorization, purportedly signed by Chief Olusegun Obasanjo permitting one Bamidele Olusegun Safiriyu of De-Rock Maritime Resource L.T.D. to enter Apapa Port freely and load their truck.”

The defendant pleaded “not guilty” to the charges.

Following his plea, A.O. Muhammed, prosecuting counsel, prayed the court for a trial date and for the remand of the defendant in a correctional facility.

Although Kayode Lawal, the defendant’s counsel, informed the court of a bail application, the prosecution said he was yet to file a response to a summons for bail filed on behalf of the defendant.

Thereafter, the judge adjourned till April 14, 2022 and ordered that the defendant be remanded at the Ikoyi correctional facility in Lagos.