Absence of prosecution stalls Ademola Akinyemi’s trial over alleged N81m fraud
By Onyewuchi Ojinnaka
The scheduled trial of Ademola Akinyemi Louis facing trial over alleged N81million fraud before Justice Ambrose Lewis Allagoa of a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos was on Friday stalled due to the absence of both the prosecutor, defence counsel as well as the defendant.
The matter which was listed as Number 8 in the cause list was not called for hearing because the Prosecutor Justine Enang Esq. and the defence counsel were not in court.
No reason was however adduced for their absence in court.
Recall that Ademola Akinyemi was arraigned in June 2024 by the Police Special Fraud Unit Ikoyi before Justice Ambrose Lewis Allagoa on a 4-count charge bordering on Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences.
He was alleged to have defrauded his victims to the tune of N81,030, 000 million.
He had however pleaded not guilty to the 4-count charge and was remanded. After hearing the bail application on July 17 , he was granted bail in the sum of N100 million and had been on bail till date while the matter was set down for trial
According to the charge, in count one, Ademola Akinyemi Louis, Farmcenta Global Investment Limited and others at large were alleged to have between August and September, 2020, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court , with intent to defraud, conspired and obtained from their victims total sum of N81,030,000 million under false pretence.
The breakdown of the funds alleged to have been fraudulently obtained from their victims are N20, 430, 000 obtained from one Mr Imeh Jimmy Ikpaisong; N12,300, 000 obtained from a woman, Kate Ichiko and N48, 300, 000 obtained under false pretence from Lolo Mari George .
The defendant was alleged to have fraudulently obtained the aforementioned sums from unsuspecting victims on the understanding that he is into a business of Rice farming, Palm oil farm and Cattle farm and wanted to partner with his victims in the said business.
According to the charge, “the money in question was the counterpart funding contribution to finance the operation of the company using Paystack Checkout, Wema Bank Account Numbers 7270261917, 7270243089 and 7270210159 as his collection account:
“And that the financiers Imeh Jimmy Ikpaisong, Kate Ichiko and Lolo Mari George would get some returns on the investment, a representation he knew to be false or did not believe to be true and subsequently converted the money to his personal use and benefit.
The offence according to the charge contravenes Section 1 (1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act No 14 of 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.
