Metro
Appeal Court Affirms 12-Year Jail Term for Businessman Over $1.4 Million Fraud
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The Court of Appeal in Lagos has upheld the conviction and 12-year prison sentence of Kolawole Adedayo Erinle, a businessman found guilty of defrauding a foreign company of $1.4 million.
The judgment, delivered on Thursday, 19 December 2024, by a three-man panel of the Court of Appeal, affirmed the sentencing of Erinle, alongside his company, Rinde-Remdex Nigeria Limited, on charges of conspiracy, retention of proceeds of criminal conduct, and obtaining money under false pretence.
Erinle had been initially arraigned before Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Special Offences Court in Ikeja on 11 March 2022.
However, following Justice Taiwo’s retirement, the case was reassigned to Justice Oshodi.
On 28 October 2022, Erinle was re-arraigned on the three-count charge, which included the false representation of himself and his accomplice, Edward Dada (still at large), as agents of J.E. Dunn, a construction company based in the United States.
They created a fraudulent domain name, jedunn.org, to deceive their victims into transferring $1,410,000.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had accused Erinle of perpetrating the crime in 2019 in Lagos, with the intent to exploit the fraudulent representation for monetary gain.
During the trial, Erinle admitted to being a convicted fraudster in the United States, where he served 23 months in prison for similar offences.
Although he initially denied the charges, he later expressed remorse, stating, “I am sorry.”
Justice Oshodi, after considering the facts of the case, convicted Erinle on 26 September 2023, sentencing him to 12 years in prison for obtaining money under false pretence.
The sentence was ordered to run concurrently, beginning from 10 February 2023. Erinle’s company was also fined N50 million and ordered to be wound up, with all proceeds forfeited to the Federal Government.
Erinle sought to appeal the conviction, but the EFCC’s counsel, T.J. Banjo, argued that the appeal lacked merit and urged the appellate court to dismiss it.
In the lead judgment, Justice Danlami Zama Senchi upheld the lower court’s ruling, stating that the prosecution had successfully proven its case beyond reasonable doubt.
Erinle’s appeal was dismissed, cementing the conviction and serving as a stern reminder of the consequences of financial fraud.
The spokesperson of the Delta State Police Command, SP Bright Edafe, was left stunned after two suspected drug dealers requested to take a photograph with him shortly after they were arrested and interrogated.
The suspects, identified as Omini Ezeri, 46, and Chinedum Wagbara, 42, were apprehended during a stop-and-search operation while travelling in a Mercedes-Benz ML SUV with registration number AAA 604 JZ along the Agbarho-Warri Road.
A search of the vehicle and its occupants led to the recovery of two Beretta pistols, a substance suspected to be cocaine, and a dagger. The suspects are currently in police custody, while investigations continue.
As part of the investigation, Edafe interrogated the suspects. Shortly after the interview, the duo surprised the police spokesperson by asking to take a photograph with him.
In a follow-up post shared on social media, Edafe said he had never encountered such behaviour before, explaining that the suspects appeared to become excited once they realised he intended to interview them.
He added that despite being arrested with cocaine and two pistols, which they claimed were used for their drug business, they still requested to take a picture with him after the interrogation.
The Catholic Diocese of Otukpo in Benue State has confirmed the safe return of its seminarian, Kelvin Ochai, who was abducted by gunmen at Asa III in Otukpo Local Government Area of the state.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by the Chancellor of the Catholic Diocese, Very Rev. Fr. Joseph Itodo, on Saturday.
Itodo attributed the seminarian’s safe return to divine intervention and the prayers of Christians and well-wishers.
According to the diocese, the seminarian escaped from the custody of his abductors and made his way to Aliade in Gwer East Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State, where he was reunited with his family unharmed.
“Through the prayers of the people of God, Kelvin escaped from the custody of his abductors on the evening of Friday, 31st July, 2026, and made his way to Aliade, Gwer East LGA of Benue State. He has since been safely reunited with his family and is unharmed,” the statement read in part.
The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Otukpo, Most Rev. Michael Ekwoyi Apochi, expressed profound gratitude to priests, religious, lay faithful, and people of goodwill for their unwavering support and prayers during the period of the seminarian’s captivity.
The headquarters of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, FMBN, located in Abuja has been gutted by fire.
The fire was said to have started from the fourth floor of the building.
Speaking to DAILY POST, a personnel of Zenith Bank domiciled in the Mortgage Bank building, Anthony Ameh, said the fire is so intense.
According to him, operatives of the Federal Fire Service, who came to contain the fire have not been able to arrest the situation.
“The fire is so intense. About four trucks of Fire Service are here but they are unable to quench it,” he said.
At the time of filing this report, the cause of the fire incident cannot be ascertained.
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