Egbegbe and one Oyekan Ayomide were first arraigned on February 10, 2017, before Justice Oluremi Oguntoyinbo, on 36 counts bordering on advance fee fraud.
By Folayemi Oladimeji
Nollywood film-maker and producer, Olajide Kareem, aka Seun Egbegbe, has regained his freedom after spending roughly three years and six months in prison.
He was incarcerated on February 10, 2017, after fraudulently obtaining N39 million, $90,000, and £12,550 from over forty Bureau De Change Operators in Lagos between 2015 to March 2017.
Egbegbe, who was the boss of Ebony Production, allegedly swindled the BDC operators out of money by claiming that he had naira to change into foreign currencies and vice versa.
Egbegbe and one Oyekan Ayomide were first arraigned on February 10, 2017, before Justice Oluremi Oguntoyinbo, on 36 counts bordering on advance fee fraud.
The charge sheet was subsequently amended twice, with the counts eventually increased to 40 and three other defendants – Lawal Kareem, Olalekan Yusuf and Muyideen Shoyombo – added.
The prosecuting counsel for the police, Innocent Anyigor, said Egbegbe and the other defendants acted contrary to Section 8 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006 and were liable to be punished under Section 1(3) of the same Act.
Federal High Court, Ikoyi, found him guilty of just one of the 44 Counts charges against him.
Justice Oluremi Oguntoyinbo declared that 43 of the 44 Count charges were crumbled because of a lack of witnesses to substantiate their claims.
Justice Oluremi Oguntoyinbo then sentenced the filmmaker to jail.
After 42 months in jail, Egbegbe was set free yesterday October 11, 2022.