The trial of a suspected syndicate who allegedly specialised in high-wired theft of N.9 billion from the First City Monument Bank (FCMB), has commenced before a Special Offences Court, sitting in Ikeja, Lagos.
The prosecution team of the Police Special Fraud Unit led by Benedict Bennett, called the first witness, an investigator, Inspector Shuaib Jeremiah, who told the court that the alleged crime was committed in three stages.
According to the witness, the alleged fraud was carried out in Lagos, Akure, and Abuja by the syndicates simultaneously in March 2018, noting that more than N300m was stolen from the bank in each city.
He said immediately, the police commenced an investigation and blocked all the beneficiary accounts across the country. The development, he said, led to the arrest of cart pushers in Sokoto, one Ashiru Mohammed who mentioned the first defendant, Gideon Oluwatimileyin.
He stated further that Ashiru Mohammed’s statement revealed that the first defendant lured him with a cumulative of N50k in three tranches to lured his ATM card, and it was through him they got the mobile line of Oluwatimileyin which led to his arrest.
Inspector Jeremiah further stated that one Olaitan Ajibola was also arrested in Gbagada, Lagos, and his statement revealed that he gave his ATM to one Moyosore Sulaiman, the fifth defendant in Egbeda and upon investigation, the police found out that Moyosore Sulaiman used the proceed of the fraud to purchase various exotic cars found in his car mart.
On the third face of the crime, the IPO said one Samuel (at large) was arrested in Access Bank, Akure Branch and jumped bail thereafter.
He emphasized that all the defendants were arrested through a statement of one syndicate to another and they all volunteered statements to the police.
After his testimonies, Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo, who presides over the matter, adjourned till 9th August 2021 for cross-examination of the Investigation Police Officer (PO) by the defence teams.
The alleged syndicate fraudsters are Gideon Oluwatimilehin, Abiodun Aina, Samuel Adenitire, Oluwasegun Daliu, Olaitan Ajibola Sheu, Moyosore Sulaimon and Adeyinka Akinjinrin.
They were arraigned before the court sometime in 2019 on a four-counts charge and they all pleaded not guilty.
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