The police, on Wednesday, arraigned a 53-year-old pastor, Adeyemo Oluwaseun, before an Ado-Ekiti Chief Magistrates’ Court over alleged fraud and possession of international passports belonging to different people.
The defendant, of no fixed address, is standing trial on a two-count charge of fraud and possession of international passports.
The prosecutor, Insp. Johnson Okunade, told the court that the defendant and others at large, committed the offences sometimes in May 2018, at the Secretariat road in Ado-Ekiti.
He alleged that the defendant and others at large, obtained N1.7 million from one Mr Femi Ajijola and his wife, on the pretext of procuring a France visa and ticket for them, which they knew to be false.
Okunade also told the court that items found in the possession of the defendant included four international passports, belonging to one Adeyemo Adenike, Oluwagbenga Success, Oguntola Moses and Timileyin Rufus, respectively.
He said that the passports were suspected to have been unlawfully obtained, in which the defendant had failed to give satisfactory account on how he acquired them.
The police prosecutor noted that the offences contravened Section 419 and 249(d) of the Criminal Code, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.
He asked the court for adjournment to enable him study the case file and present his witnesses.
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Counsel to the defendant, Mr Timi Omotosho, urged the court to grant him bail, with a promise that he would not jump bail.
The Chief Magistrate, Mr Adesoji Adegboye, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N400,000, with two sureties in like sum.
Adegboye adjourned the case till Jan. 15 for hearing. (NAN)