Alleged Fraud: Court Strikes Out Police Charges Against Lagos-Based Businessman, Arraigned In 2020
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A Lagos state Magistrate Court sitting in Ebute Metta, Lagos State, has struck out the 12-count charge filed by the Nigerian police against a businessman and ex-banker, Seye Onigbinde, bordering on alleged fraud.
The magistrate, Justice A.I.O Alaka delivered the judgment on the case with the charge no: K/05/2020 between the Inspector-General of Police and Seye Onigbinde as the defendant.
Source: Original
Alaka granted the orders which the defendant prayed for in a motion, which were; “An order striking out the charge as it constituted in view of the fact that the Defendant/Applicant had already been tried in similar charge no ID/17608C/2021 between Federal Government of Nigeria vs Seye Onigbinde at the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, Lagos State.
“An order of the Honourable Court discharging the Defendant in the charge before the Honourable Court and for such further order or other orders as this Honourable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstances.”
It would be recalled that in January 2020, Seye Onigbinde was arrested by the Lagos State Police Command for allegedly defrauding 354 Nigerians to the tune of over N500million in “illegal foreign exchange deals.”
Seye, who operates under the business name, Blueprint Business and Consulting, had been accused of convincing the Nigerians to invest in his foreign exchange business after successfully helping the first set of investors to make returns on their investments.
It was learnt that the initial investors were also responsible for convincing a significant number of the victims whose money had gone into the same investment.
When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer at that time, Bala Elkana, had said Seye had been arrested, adding that he had been charged with the crime.
He had said, “Investigation is ongoing and the Area ‘F’ of the command arraigned him in court and got a remand order for 21 days to enable other members of the public, whose names featured in the scheme, to approach the Human Rights Unit of the Area ‘F’ Command before final arraignment at the Lagos State High Court after the DPP advice.”
On September 20, 2022, Justice O.A. Taiwo (Mrs) of the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, Lagos State, had also discharged and acquitted Seye Onigbinde on charges of stealing and obtaining money under false pretense while ruling in a case between the Federal Government of Nigeria vs Seye Onigbinde and Blueprint Business Development & Consulting on charges filed by the EFCC.
However, the judge found the second defendant, Blueprint Business Development & Consulting guilty of issuing a dud cheque, and Justice S.O. Solebo (Mrs) who read the judgment on November 24, 2022 sequel to the retirement of Justice O.A. Taiwo (Mrs), fined the company the sum of N2,000,000.
Commenting on the ruling of the Magistrate Court striking out the charge against Seye Onigbinde, the defence counsel, Oluwatosin Ojo of B. P Ogundele and Co, stated that "with the decision of the court, it had brought to an end the criminal charges and allegations of fraud and obtaining money under false pretences against Seye Onigbinde.”
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Source: Legit.ng
