By Emma Njoku
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), yesterday, re-arraigned the quartet of Mark Obisean, Olumide Mcintouch, Bolaji Bakare and Goodluck Bazunu before Justice I.O. Ijelu of the Lagos State High Court Ikeja, Lagos, on an amended 11-count charge bordering on purchase of forged bank notes and possession of forged United States dollars travellers cheque.
The Commission’s Head, Media & Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, in a statement, yesterday, said one of the counts reads: “Mark Obisean, Olumide Mcintouch, Bolaji Bakare, Goodluck Bazunu, and Josiah Ntekume (at large) sometime in 2018, at Lagos within the Ikeja Judicial Division, received and have in your possession forged United States Dollars Travellers Cheque number GA 908-981-564.”
Another count reads: “Mark Obisean, Olumide Mcintouch, Bolaji Bakare, Goodluck Bazunu, and Josiah Ntekume (at large), sometime in 2018 at Lagos, within the Ikeja Judicial Division, conspired to purchase, received, and have in your possession forged United States travellers cheques.”
They pleaded “not guilty” to the charges and in view of their pleas, the prosecution counsel, N.K. Ukoha, prayed the court for a trial date to enable the prosecution to call its witnesses and tender relevant documents to prove the case against them.
Counsel for the first defendant, Bolaji Ayorinde, SAN, however, informed the court of the bail application filed on behalf of his client, arguing that his client “does not constitute a flight-risk.”
Counsel for the other defendants, however, had no formal bail applications before the court for the court to hear and rule on.
Ruling on the bail application, Justice Ijelu granted bail to the first defendant in the sum of N20 million, with two sureties in like sum. The court further held that the other defendants had no formal applications before it. They were, therefore, returned to the Correctional Facility, while the case was adjourned till April 3, 4 and 5, 2023 “for trial”.
The defendants were earlier arraigned before Justice Sherifat Solebo of the Special Offences Court in Ikeja in February 2022.
However, the trial could not be concluded before the retirement of Justice Solebo in November 2022. Consequently, the case was re-assigned to Justice Ijelu.