EFCC arraigns civil servant for ‘defrauding 23 church members’ in Kwara

The Ilorin zonal command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned Olajumoke Oyawoye, identified as a 53-year-old civil servant, for allegedly defrauding 23 church members.

The anti-graft agency, in a statement on Tuesday, said she was arraigned on a four-count charge before a federal high court in Ilorin, the Kwara capital.

Oyawoye, said to be a staff of the Kwara state ministry of finance, is accused of collecting various sums of money from 23 members of the Christ Apostolic Church in Offa, Kwara state, with the promise to get them jobs in federal and state parastatals.

“That you, Oyawoye R. Olajumoke Fafemi, between the month of April and September 2019, in Ilorin, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, with intent to defraud, obtained the gross sum of N2,000,000.00 (Two Million Naria 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,” one of the count reads.

The suspect is also accused of collecting the sum of N700,000 from one Adeoti Kamoru under the guise of helping him to secure a visa for hajj pilgrimage in 2019.

According to the EFCC, during the proceeding, the defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The EFCC said at the court session on Tuesday, Andrew Akoja, counsel to tthe agency, urged the court to give a trial date to enable the prosecution prove its case.

Based on the plea, A.T. Yusuf, the defence counsel, prayed the court to grant his client bail pending the hearing and determination of the case.

Muhammed Sanni, the judge, granted the application as prayed.

Consequently, Oyawoye was granted bail in sum of N2 million and two sureties with an order to deposit two of her passport photographs with the court.

The case has been adjourned till November 17 for commencement of trial.