Factory worker arraigned over Customs job scam

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibadan zonal office, on Monday, arraigned Olukoya Emmanuel Adeyemi before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Ibadan.

Olukoya who claimed to be working with a Chinese company was arraigned on a 30-count charge bordering on obtaining under false pretence contrary to Section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related

Offences Act 2006 and punishable by Section 1 (3) of the same act.

The defendant, however, pleaded ‘not guilty’ to all the charges.

In view of his plea, the prosecuting counsel, Chidi Okoli, applied for a trial date and prayed the court to remand the defendant in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service.

Counsel to the defendant, Peniela Akintujoyen, moved a motion praying the court to admit the defendant to bail. The application was however opposed by the prosecution counsel.

After listening to the arguments of both counsels, Justice Abdulmalik remanded the defendant in Agodi Custodial Centre and adjourned the case till March 31, 2021, for trial and ruling on the defendant’s bail application.

Trouble started for Adeyemi following a petition received by the commission alleging that sometime in 2019, he obtained several sums from unsuspecting victims in the pretext that he had secured employment slots for them with the Nigeria Customs Service. He extorted over N1, 000, 000 from his victims.