EFCC Arraigns 88-yr-old Former Legislator For N1.4m Scam

88-year-old Olusola Alaba at the court
88-year-old Olusola Alaba at the court

88-year-old Olusola Alaba, was yesterday arraigned before a Lagos High Court, sitting at Ikeja, charged with an alleged N1.4 million fraud.

Alaba who is a former member of the Western House of Assembly, is facing a five-count charge of obtaining money by false pretence and forgery, before Justice Lateefa Okunnu in a suit brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

Mr Francis Usani, the EFCC prosecutor claimed Alaba had on June 20, 2011, in Lagos fraudulently obtained the sum of N1, 490,000 from Mrs Olutoyin Ogundipe as he claimed to the woman that the money represented the cost of a three bedroom flat located at Plot 8, Oladimeji Alo Street, Lekki Phase One, Lagos.

Usani accused him of also forging four international passports in the names of Babatunde Salvage, Anthony Okundalaye, Lateef Alli and Magnus Obe, to facilitate the fraud.

Usani said the alleged offence contravened Section 1 (2) (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act of 2006 and 467 of the Criminal Code Laws of Lagos State 2003.

Alaba however pleaded not guilty to the five-count charge levelled against him.

Counsel to the defendant, Mrs Mercy Emuveyan, urged the court to remand him in EFCC custody, and not prison custody, pending the filing of his bail application.

She appealed to the court to consider the defendant’s age and health condition as well as being a former member of the Western House of Assembly.

Presiding judge, Lateefa Okunnu granted her request and remanded the defendant in EFCC custody as the case was adjourned to March 26, 2013, for trial.