An Ilorin Magistrate Court Wednesday the 4th of May 2016, remanded a popular Ibadan based politician, Dr. Folaranmi Akinosun in prison custody over his alleged involvement in a N600 million admission fraud between Nigeria and Ghana.
Akinosun, a member of APC Party in Oyo state will remain in prison till June 2, 2016 when the court will listen to the matter again.
He was arraigned later afternoon on Wednesday the 4th of May according to sources familiar with the case.
Akinosun, according to the police First Information Report (FIR) was alleged to be running an illegal degree awarding institution under the name Deltas University College, Keta, Ghana through which he allegedly defrauded several unsuspecting Nigerians in the guise of giving them admissions and other relevant documents related to educational activities in Nigeria.
The FIR indicated that incidentally it was Akinosun who had initially written a petition to the Inspector General of Police alleging that an Ilorin, Kwara state based Kinsey College of Education was running an illegal degree awarding programme.
He was accused of using a pseudonym to write the petition. It was in the process of investigations by men of the State Intelligence and Investigation Bureau that the alleged criminal activities of Akinosun himself came to the fore, according to the FIR.
The FIR indicated that Akinosun was charged before the court for criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery, giving false information with intent to mislead public servant and obtaining money under false pretence contrary to section 97, 322, 364, 140 of the Penal Code and Section 1(3) of Advance Fee Fraud and other related offences Act Cap A6, Law of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
The FIR, which was sighted by our reporter alleges that, “On 17th December, 2015, the office of the Inspector General of Police, Abuja endorsed a petition requesting for urgent police investigation into the operation of illegal degree awarding programme by Kinsey College of Education in Ilorin to the State Police Command which was endorsed to this Bureau for discreet investigation.
“During the course of investigation, it was discovered that the petition was written by one Dr. Folarin Akinosun, ‘m’, of No 62, Mayfair Street, Ile-Ife, Osun state with a fictitious name of one faceless Alhaji Raji Shefiru Olugbogi.
It was further discovered that contrary to the allegations in the fictitious petition, the said Kinsey College of Education Ilorin was not running any illegal degree awarding programme as alleged rather the petition was aimed at giving false information with intent to mislead the police.
“However, during investigation into the fictitious petition, it was discovered that you Dr. Folaranmi Akinosun is the actual person operating an illegal degree awarding institution under the name Deltas University College Keta, Ghana through foreign links campus at Moro, Ile-Ife, Osun state through which you have successfully defrauded several innocent unsuspecting Nigerian students seeking admission into higher institution such as one Suleiman Kazeez Bolanta, ‘m’ of No1, Salamatu Olatunde Street, Offa Road, GRA, Ilorin and several others within Ilorin.
“Investigation further led to the recovery of several forged documents you issued to the unsuspecting students which include the following: several forged NYSC Posting Letters for 2012 Batch ‘C’ Corps members, several forged Provisional Offer of Admission letters into various departments in the fictitious Deltas University College, Ghana, forged School Registration Forms, identity cards, semester result sheets, receipts and clearance forms, school identity cards and students examination slips all suspected to be forged.
“Investigation into the matter also revealed that the said Delta University College, Keta,Ghana is a non-existing fictitious institution in Ghana which was denied accreditation by the National Accreditation Board, Ministry of Education, CT, 3256, Cantonments, Accra Ghana.
It was further discovered that you Dr Folaranmi Akinosun has defrauded unsuspecting innocent admission seeking students of about the sum of N600 million while some of the students lured by you to Ghana under the pretext of securing admission for them are now left stranded there.” Akinosun, who was brought to the court late in the afternoon pleaded not guilty to the charges.
However, Chief Magistrate Y.K. Yahaya, who heard the case agreed with the argument of police prosecutor, Mathew Ologbon, and remanded the accused in federal prison, Ilorin till June 2, 2016 when the case will come up for further mention
