AN accused, Alhaji Olujide Semiu, a.k.a. Sarito has been remanded in prison
custody pending the fulfilment of bail condition granted him, after he was
arraigned in court on Thursday, August 28, 2014 on a three-count charge of
conspiracy, obtaining under false pretence and conversion of N22million meant
for intending pilgrims during Hajj 2013.
At his arraignment, in Chief Magistrates’ Court 1, Iyaganku, Ibadan, Oyo State, presided over by Chief Magistrate Fatimah Badrudeen, the first count read “that you Alhaji Olujide Semiu ‘m’ and Alhaji Ibrahim Omo Oba ‘m’ now at large on the first day of April 2013, at about 1.30p.m., at Oyo State Pilgrims Welfare Board, Ibadan, in the Ibadan Magisterial District did conspire to commit felony to wit: obtaining money under false pretence and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 516 of the Criminal Code cap 38 volume 2 Laws of Oyo State of Nigeria 2000.”
The second count also read that the accused and the person at large, fraudulently obtained N22.070million from the chairman of the Oyo State Pilgrims Welfare Board (Muslim wing), Alhaji Taofiq Akewugbagold to secure travelling visa for 16 passengers, which they knew they would not do, thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under section 419 of the Criminal Code Cap 38 Volume 2 Laws of Oyo State of Nigeria 2000.
Alhaji Semiu was also accused of converting the money to personal use, committing an offence contrary to section 383 (i) and punishable under section 390 (9) of the Criminal Code Cap 38 Volume 2 Laws of Oyo State of Nigeria 2000.
After the charges were read, the accused pleaded not guilty and the chief magistrate granted him bail in the sum of N5million with two sureties. One of the sureties, Alhaja Badrudeeen said, must have a landed property in Ibadan with Certificate of Occupancy while the second surety must be a Level 10 civil servant.
She adjourned the case till September 25, 2014 for further hearing.
However, the accused could not fulfil the bail conditions and was taken to Agodi prisons to be kept in custody unitl he would be able to meet up with the bail conditions.
Sunday Tribune gathered that the counsel to the complainant, Barrister Saka Abdulmalik, wrote a petition to the Assistant Inspector General of Police in Zone Eleven in Osogbo, Osun State, that the accused presented himself as the owner of International Hajj Commission and a licensed international hajj operator, which made the Pilgrims Welfare Board to assign 16 surplus intending pilgrims to him to arrange their travelling.
The board was reported to have paid N750,000 for each of the 16 intending pilgrims, totaling N12million while the accused also collected additional N400,000 from them, totaling N6.4million.
The Personal Assistant of the board chairman was also said to have passed a further sum of US$10,000, sent by Governor Abiola Ajimobi to the Amir Hajj of 2013 to the accused, on the instruction of Akewugbagold, with the hope that the money would be delivered to him upon the arrival of the accused in Saudi Arabia. Unfortunately, the money, with a naira equivalent of N1.670miilion was converted to personal use by Semiu.
It was gathered that the board discovered that the accused was not a licensed hajj operator when the intending pilgrims were left stranded and abandoned at Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos State, which forced the chairman to pay N300,000 each for seven of the victims to secure flight tickets to Saudi Arabia.
Seven others were said to have made personal arrangements while the two remaining ones could not make the hajj. Unfortunately again, the 14 people could only get as far as Jeddah but were disallowed entry into Saudi Arabia because they did not have the entry pass which ought to have been procured for them by the accused.
They reportedly sourced for money from fellow pilgrims to procure the cards before they could get to Saudi Arabia to perform their hajj obligations.
TRIBUNE
At his arraignment, in Chief Magistrates’ Court 1, Iyaganku, Ibadan, Oyo State, presided over by Chief Magistrate Fatimah Badrudeen, the first count read “that you Alhaji Olujide Semiu ‘m’ and Alhaji Ibrahim Omo Oba ‘m’ now at large on the first day of April 2013, at about 1.30p.m., at Oyo State Pilgrims Welfare Board, Ibadan, in the Ibadan Magisterial District did conspire to commit felony to wit: obtaining money under false pretence and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 516 of the Criminal Code cap 38 volume 2 Laws of Oyo State of Nigeria 2000.”
The second count also read that the accused and the person at large, fraudulently obtained N22.070million from the chairman of the Oyo State Pilgrims Welfare Board (Muslim wing), Alhaji Taofiq Akewugbagold to secure travelling visa for 16 passengers, which they knew they would not do, thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under section 419 of the Criminal Code Cap 38 Volume 2 Laws of Oyo State of Nigeria 2000.
Alhaji Semiu was also accused of converting the money to personal use, committing an offence contrary to section 383 (i) and punishable under section 390 (9) of the Criminal Code Cap 38 Volume 2 Laws of Oyo State of Nigeria 2000.
After the charges were read, the accused pleaded not guilty and the chief magistrate granted him bail in the sum of N5million with two sureties. One of the sureties, Alhaja Badrudeeen said, must have a landed property in Ibadan with Certificate of Occupancy while the second surety must be a Level 10 civil servant.
She adjourned the case till September 25, 2014 for further hearing.
However, the accused could not fulfil the bail conditions and was taken to Agodi prisons to be kept in custody unitl he would be able to meet up with the bail conditions.
Sunday Tribune gathered that the counsel to the complainant, Barrister Saka Abdulmalik, wrote a petition to the Assistant Inspector General of Police in Zone Eleven in Osogbo, Osun State, that the accused presented himself as the owner of International Hajj Commission and a licensed international hajj operator, which made the Pilgrims Welfare Board to assign 16 surplus intending pilgrims to him to arrange their travelling.
The board was reported to have paid N750,000 for each of the 16 intending pilgrims, totaling N12million while the accused also collected additional N400,000 from them, totaling N6.4million.
The Personal Assistant of the board chairman was also said to have passed a further sum of US$10,000, sent by Governor Abiola Ajimobi to the Amir Hajj of 2013 to the accused, on the instruction of Akewugbagold, with the hope that the money would be delivered to him upon the arrival of the accused in Saudi Arabia. Unfortunately, the money, with a naira equivalent of N1.670miilion was converted to personal use by Semiu.
It was gathered that the board discovered that the accused was not a licensed hajj operator when the intending pilgrims were left stranded and abandoned at Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos State, which forced the chairman to pay N300,000 each for seven of the victims to secure flight tickets to Saudi Arabia.
Seven others were said to have made personal arrangements while the two remaining ones could not make the hajj. Unfortunately again, the 14 people could only get as far as Jeddah but were disallowed entry into Saudi Arabia because they did not have the entry pass which ought to have been procured for them by the accused.
They reportedly sourced for money from fellow pilgrims to procure the cards before they could get to Saudi Arabia to perform their hajj obligations.
TRIBUNE
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