A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos on Friday remanded a suspected Ponzi scheme operator Bamise Ajetunmobi for an alleged N7.5 billion fraud.
Justice Chukwuejekwu Aneke ordered that Mr Ajetunmobi be kept in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS) pending the determination of charges filed by the police against him.
Ajetunmobi and wife Elizabeth have been wanted by the police since 2021.
The judge’s order followed the defendant’s arraignment on a 12-count charge by the Force Criminal Investigation Department (Force CID Annex) Alagbon-Ikoyi, Lagos.
Ajetunmobi pleaded not guilty.
Prosecution counsel Morufu Animashaun of the FCID’s legal office told the court that the defendant committed the alleged offence sometime in February 2021 in a conspiracy with his wife, who is now at large, and their firm, Imagine Global Solutions Limited.
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The couple, the court heard, allegedly defrauded Nigerian investors by, among others, luring them with a 10 percent return on investment (ROI).
Those allegedly defrauded by the defendants and the sums received from them included Olawale Lawal, N1.5 billion; Kate Omu, N500 million, Erhi Catherine Ojoboh, N2 billion, and Abioye Idris, N3.5 billion.
The prosecutor told the court that the alleged offences contravened sections 8 (a), 1(a)(c) and 1 (2) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 which were punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.
The judge adjourned till November 29 for commencement of trial.
