A Couple has been remanded in prison custody by the Igbosere Magistrates’ Court in Lagos yesterday for allegedly impersonating former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, with intent to commit fraud.
Abioye Junaid, 41, a security agent with Eco Electricity Company at Sangotedo Epe and his wife, Fausat Junaid, 39, a civil servant with the Epe Local Government, were also accused of impersonating the Iyaloja-General of Nigeria, Chief Folashade Tinubu-Ojo and defrauding two persons of N85 million.
The duo are facing an eight-count charge of conspiracy, fraud, stealing and impersonation.
The prosecutor, DSP Charles Odii, told the court that the couple and others still at large conspired and committed the alleged offences at their residence, No. 7 Ayeola St., Oke Balogun, Epe, Lagos, between October 2014 and December 2015.
Odii said: “The defendant falsely presented themselves as Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Chief Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, the Iyaloja-General of Nigeria.”
He accused the suspects of obtaining N15 million from one Ambali Abiodun, under the guise of making him a commissioner in Lagos State and also took N70 million from another Otuniyi Adeniyi, with the false excuse of making him the Vice President of Nigeria.
The offences contravened sections 285 (5), 312 (2), 378 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011, the prosecutor explained.
In their defence, the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges. Their counsel, Mr. Emmanuel Bayen, however, urged the court to grant them bail on liberal terms.
The presiding Magistrate, Mrs A. O. Sholadoye in her ruling, granted the suspects N2 million bail each with two responsible sureties each in like sum.
One of the sureties must be a Level 16 officer or above in the Lagos State Civil Service. The other must have a landed property with the Certificate of Ownership (C of O) verified at the Lagos State Land Registry.
The two defendants were remanded in prison until their bail conditions are met. The court, however,adjourned till Friday, August 26 for mention.