Former Managing Director of an aviation fueling company, Star Orient Nigeria Limited, Dare Osamo, a lawyer and one other were, on yesterday, arraigned before a Lagos magistrates’ court sitting in Yaba for alleged theft of N1 billion.
The defendants, Osamo, Ayoola Olore Abisola, 30 and Hussaina Abdulkadir, 32 were docked before Magistrate (Mrs) A.A Oshiniyi on four-count charges bordering on forgery and stealing by the Nigeria Police Force, Zone 2 Command, Onikan, Lagos.
At the resumption of the proceedings, the prosecutor, Jimoh Joseph, informed that he had been under investigation for eighteen months before they were brought before the court following the DPP’s advice, which says they have a case to answer.
When the charge was read to the defendants, they pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Following their not-guilty pleas, Magistrate Oshuniyi granted them bail in the sum of N5 million with two responsible sureties in like sum and one of them must be blood relative.
She further ordered that the sureties must be gainfully employed, provide details of their residential addresses and evidence of tax payment to the state.
Earlier in their allocutus, counsel for the first to third defendants, Messers O.T Adebayo, Adejo, Mordecia prayed the court to grant them bail on liberal terms, saying that they had never missed appointments with the police and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) during the period of investigation.
Part of the charge against the defendants reads: “That you Dare Osamo (m)Ayoola Olore Abisola 30 (f) and Hussaina Abdulkadir (f) and others at large, sometime between the year 2016 and 2019 at Star Orient Nigeria Limited at JUH12, Muritala Mohammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos did conspire to commit forgery, obtaining money by false pretense and stealing, thereby committing and offence punishable under section 411 of the criminal laws of Lagos State 2015.
“That you Dare Osamo (m) Ayoola Olore Abisola 30 (f) and Hussaina Abdulkadir (f) and others at large, on the aforesaid date, did forged a Star Orient Nigeria Limited Board Resolution dated 31st July, 2018, and 15th December, 2015 with the intent it may be used or acted upon as genuine to the prejudice members of the public , Corporate Affairs Commission, First City Monument Bank and Access bank and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 365(1), Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.
“That you Dare Osamo (m)Ayoola Olore Abisola 30 (f) and Hussaina Abdulkadir (f) and others at large on the aforesaid date did obtained the sum of N1,605,019,015,01 ( one billion, six hundred and five million, nineteen thousand fifteen naira , one kobo), from Star Orient Nigeria Limited, in the pretense of selling and buying Aviation products, a representation you know to be false and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 314(1) and (3) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos state, 2015.”