By Felix Kuyinu
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arrested and arraigned a businessman for alledgedly swindling a company.
The lawbreaker, Muhammad Lamido, alongside his company, Aliqea Group, appeared before the Lagos Special Offences Court, Ikeja on Monday, facing counts bordering on conspiracy, obtaining by false pretence and money laundering preferred against him by the EFCC.
The prosecutor, R.A Abdulrasheed, told the court that Lamido defrauded a company identified as First Right Enterprises an amount of N105m on July 19, 2023.
The prosecutor then alleged that the defendant cunningly claimed to have the dollar equivalent of the amount to change for the organisation, an allegation the defendant pleaded not guilty of.
After the defendant’s plea was taken, his counsel, Emmanuel Ogbeche, urged the court to allow Lamido remain in the EFCC custody. He also told the court that the defence had filed a bail application.
But Abdulrasheed, who countered the defendant’s bail application informed the court of a counter-affidavit opposing the grounds of bail. He disclosed that the defendant may not appear in court again regardless of the subject of his health.
Ogbeche, who noted that Lamido has right to bail said that the culprit would attend his court date as he had been receiving medical care at the EFCC facility and under the eyes of the commission.
Justice Olubusola Okunuga adjourned the matter to December 13, 2023
