N500m Fraud: Court Fixes April 10 for Arraignment of Badagry Prince

Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, has fixed April 10, 2018 for the arraignment of Mr. Semasa Kolade James, son of a late ruler of Kweme Kingdom, Oba Afolabi Ogungbe James.

The Special Fraud Unit of Police, accused Semasa Kolade James of stealing and forgery.

James was accused of fraudulently converting to his own use and personal benefit, the sum of N500 million, property of his late father's estate, between 2010 and 2017 in Lagos.

One of the counts read, “That you Semasa Kolade James, in 2011 in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, know- ingly forged the Resolution of a company called CAJ Industrial Enterprises Limited, dated 28th November, 2011, by purporting that the said Resolution was signed by your father, as one of the directors of the company, whereas your your father died on 30th January, 2002, and you forged the said Resolution, with intent that it may in any way be used or acted upon as genuine, whether in Lagos State or elsewhere to the prejudice of any person”.

James was to be arraigned on March 26, 2018, but several legal arguments stalled his arraignment, which was later fixed for April 10.

At the proceeding, the prosecuting counsel, Mr. Ekong Sunday, could not convince the Judge to put the accuse on trial.

He argued that, the arraignment should hold because the suspect who had been on administrative bail, had earlier jumped the bail.

But counsel to the defence, Mr. Martins Oyigu disagreed, stating that the arraignment was supposed to hold on April 10, as earlier agreed by both parties.

He further accused the Prosecutor of reneging on an earlier agreement, when he came to Court on 8th of March, without informing him that his client would be arraigned.

He added that, the Prosecutor only got in touch with him at the weekend (Friday), that the matter was coming up for arraignment.

When Justice Taiwo queried the motive behind the Prosecutor’s approach, he replied that the suspect jumped bail and evaded arrest several times, hence his current position.

After listening to arguments for and against the Defendant’s arraignment, the Judge ordered the Defendant’s counsel to undertake to produce his client in court, and adjourned the matter to April 10 for arraignment.