Alleged fraud: Court remands pastor over N35m land fraud

Andrew Orolua, Abuja

A ‘religious leader’, Pastor Dennis Ogbede, has been remanded to prison custody by an FCT High Court over alleged land fraud to the tune of N35 million.

Justice Modupe Osho-Adebiyi on Tuesday ordered that he be remanded in prison custody until he fulfills his bail conditions.

Dennis Ogbede, who is the director of Alidenco Systems Nigeria Ltd, was arraigned for allegedly defrauding Maje Umar Nafiu of Maje Investment and Construction Company Ltd to the tune of N35m in land acquisition in 2009.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) filed a three-count charges against Ogbede on account of his alleged presentation of fake land titles for Wumba area of the FCT to Nafiu.

The EFCC further alleged that Ogbede agreed to refund a sum of N25m through three post-dated Zenith Bank Plc cheques, which all failed to clear upon presentation to the bank in December, 2015.

The offences violated Section 1(1) Of Dud Cheque Offences Act and punishable under same section (i) (i) of the same Act.

However, the defendant pleaded not guilty to the offences.

Defence counsel, Isaac Imo pleaded for bail on the grounds that the defendant is a religious leader and also has a pending civil suit in court challgenging the refund of the N35m.

EFCC counsel, Samuel Ugwuegbulem did not oppose the bail as it was the discretion of the court to grant bail.

Ruling on the bail, the judge ordered the defendant to produce a bail of N2m and two sureties in like sum.

She said the sureties must be civil servants, one which must be the rank not less than Grade Level 14, with landed properties in the FCT.

The case was adjourned to May 30 for hearing