Nigerian Lawyer Docked Over N25m Fraud

A convicted Nigerian lawyer, Kole Bello and an alleged accomplice, Muhydyn Ango were have been arraigned for obtaining a N25 million bank loan with forged documents.

Bello (47) and Ango (42) were docked before Justice Lateefat Okunnu of a Lagos High Court in Ikeja.

Bello had on 10 February, 2011, been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by Justice Joseph Oyewole, also of a Lagos High Court in Ikeja, for some fraud related offences.

He was charged again to court alongside Ango by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The defendants are facing a five-count charge of conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretence, forgery and uttering.

EFCC counsel, Mr Kayode Oni, alleged that the defendants had, sometime in 2008, in Lagos, conspired to obtain a N25 million loan from Access Bank Plc, using forged documents.

Oni claimed that the defendants had forged the Certificate of Occupancy No. 15/15/1999J of a property purportedly located at Lekki Peninsula Residential Scheme I, known as Plot 1, Block 103, Eti-Osa area of Lagos State.

He said the defendants presented the property, which was owned by one Mr Samuel Fasonu, to the bank, to obtain the loan facility.

According to him, the defendants refused to repay the loan with the knowledge that they had presented false collateral to obtain it in the first place.

He said the alleged offences of the defendants contravene Sections 1(3) and 8(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act No. 14 of 2006.

Oni said they also contravene Sections 467 and 468 of the Criminal Code Laws of Lagos State, 2003.

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The judge adjourned the matter to 28 January for trial.