EFCC arraigns Oyo State Governor’s ‘PA’ over Internet fraud

Mouthpiece NGR reports that Babawale Daniel Olayinka has been charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) with online fraud.

Olayinka was charged with five counts of what appears to be cybercrime before Justice Uche Agomoh of the Federal High Court in Ibadan.

According to the EFCC, he was found with an identity card that read “Personal Assistant to the Oyo State Governor on Media Matters” at the time of his arrest.
On February 11, 2022, Olayinka and 25 other people were detained in Ibadan, Oyo State, in the Soka neighborhood.

One of the counts notes that on December 23, 2021, Olayinka, “not being a Visa Card issuer nor an authorized agent of Visa Card sold four Visa Debit Cards on Tiger Company Group via Telegram to another person who is neither the issuer nor the authorized agent”.

The offence violates to Section 35 of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act and punishable under the same Section.

Also between February 11 and March 21, 2022, the defendant is accused of making false statements to Chinedu Eneanya and his team of EFCC officers about the ID card.
This negates Section 39 (2) (a) and punishable under Section 39 (2) (b) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Establishment Act, 2004.

The defendant pleaded “not guilty” to the charges filed against him by the EFCC.
Prosecution counsel, Abdulrasheed Suleiman, asked the court for a trial date and the remand of the defendant.
Defence counsel, Mukhtar Aderogba and Nurullah Musa informed the court that an application for bail had been filed.

Justice Agomoh granted Olayinka bail in the sum of N500,000 and two sureties in like sum.
They must provide an affidavit of means and possess landed properties; one must deposit N100,000 with the court registrar.
Olayinka will remain at a correctional centre pending the perfection of his bail. The matter was adjourned till October 5.