An Ikeja High Court on Thursday dismissed a no-case submission filed by a former banker, Olutola Ojo, charged with N20m fraud.
Ruling on the application filed by Ojo’s counsel, Mr N.O. Olagunju, Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo held that the defendant had a case to answer.
He said the exhibits tendered by the prosecution and the testimonies of its six witnesses had adduced sufficient evidence to warrant the defendant to open his defence.
The judge consequently ordered Ojo to open the defence of his case on June 23.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Ojo was charged alongside his company — Forox Standard Concepts- by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission .
He was facing a seven-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretences, issuance of a dishonoured cheque, forgery and uttering.
The EFCC’s counsel, Mr Ben Ubi, alleged that Ojo had committed the offences between January and June 2009, while he was a staff member of the defunct Oceanic Bank Plc.
Ubi said he had obtained N20m from one of the bank’s customers, Chief Samuel Anibata.
He said the money was obtained by the defendant under the pretext of helping Anibata to purchase Low Pour Fuel Oil for supply to Dangote Cement Factory in Obajana, Kogi State.
Ojo was also accused of forging various documents which he used to facilitate the fraud.
According to Ubi, the defendant also issued several banks’ cheques in various sums in favour of Anibata which were dishonoured by the banks due to insufficient funds in his account.
Ubi said the offences contravened sections 467 and 468 of the Criminal Code Laws of Lagos State, 2003. NAN
