Adepoju Sunday, alias SSG, the owner of the De Rock Club in Ibadan, was brought before Justice Uche Agomoh of the Federal High Court sitting in Oyo State on Wednesday by the EFCC’s Ibadan Zonal Command.
The anti-graft organization made this disclosure in a statement that was penned by Wilson Uwajeren, its spokesman.
Uwajeren said the defendant and 21 other alleged internet fraudsters were detained on August 31, 2022, as part of an operation that was intelligence-driven and carried out by members of its Ibadan Zonal Command.
The defendant was found in possession of a 2020 Range Rover HSE Sports Utility Vehicle, an HP laptop, an iPhone 13 Pro Max, and other items. He was charged twice for allegedly participating in cybercrime and obtaining N31,821,000 under dubious circumstances.
Uwajeren claims that the first charge, which consists of eight counts, was related to identity theft and the obtaining of COVID-19 and unemployment benefits from the American government, while the other 19 counts are based on the transfer of criminal proceeds to a man named Owoade David.
Investigations, showed that Adepoju, age 36, who claimed to be an industrial chemistry graduate of Olabisi Onabanjo University in Ago Iwoye, Osun State, had defrauded the American government and unwitting American citizens of thousands of dollars during the COVID-19 pandemic.
After hearing the accusations against him, the defendant entered a “not guilty” plea.
As a result, the prosecution’s attorney, Mabas Mabur, requested that the suspect be held in custody until the case was resolved and that the court set a date for the trial.
Olaniyi George, the defendant’s attorney, however, informed the court that he had submitted two separate bail applications on the defendant’s behalf and asked the judge to grant bail.
Mabur, however, urged the court to deny the requests on the grounds that the defendant poses a flight risk and is facing charges in other legal forums.
After that, Justice Agomoh postponed the case until April 18 for a decision and ruled that the defendant should be kept in the Agodi Correctional facility.
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