The Department of State Services on Wednesday arraigned two men, Rilwanu Jamiu and Balogun Stanley Oyewole, who allegedly cloned the mobile telephone number of the Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, to perpetrate fraud.
The duo was arraigned on two counts before a Lagos State Chief Magistrate’s Court presided over by Adeola Adedayo sitting at Isolo.
The DSS alleged that Jamiu and Oyewole, who claimed to be cocoa dealers, were arrested just as they were about perpetrating
a N50m fraudulent cash transfer using the cloned Governor’s mobile line.
According to the DSS prosecutor, Peter Okerinmodun, the two accused persons allegedly sent a text message to the Lagos State Accountant-General, requesting a transfer of N50m, under the guise that it was the Governor who was requesting same.
Okerinmodun said Jamiu and Oyewole allegedly conspired with two others who were now at large to commit the offence at about 10.02am on February 10, 2016.
The prosecutor told the court that the accused persons acted at variance with the provisions of Section 312 (2) and (3) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State and were liable to being punished under the law.
But upon reading the charges to them, Jamiu and Oyewole pleaded not guilty, after which Okerinmondun applied to the court for an order remanding them in the prison custody pending the outcome of the legal advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions.
The magistrate, however, turned down the application on the grounds that the offence is bailable and because the magistrates’ court is a court of summary trial.
She, therefore, admitted them to bail in the sum of N1m each with two sureties in like sum.
The court said one of the sureties must be a religious or community leader within the jurisdiction of the court, and that the accused persons must provide five years tax clearance certificates.
The magistrate, however, said the accused persons would be remanded at Kirikiri prison pending when they will perfect the bail conditions.
The case was adjourned till May 10, 2016.
