First Bank Officials’ Trial Over Alleged Fraud, Stealing Begins September 21

An Osun State High Court sitting in Ila-Orangun has fixed September 21, 2023, for the arraignment of two officials of the First Bank Plc, Kehinde David Oludare and Awolola Olalekan Ayodeji, over alleged fraud and falsifying an account belonging to an immigration officer, Mr Badiru Adeyemi Oluwafemi.

Both Kehinde David Oludare and Awolola Olalekan Ayodeji were dragged before the Court presided over by Justice Justice G. Lawal, for the alleged offences.

The bankers, Kehinde and Awolola, were attached to the Inisha Branch of the First Bank Plc and were said to be the Business Manager and Account Officer of Oluwafemi respectively at the time of committing the alleged crime in 2015.

The defendants’ prosecution, which has suffered a series of long adjournment, as it was earlier slated for tried at the Okuku division of the court by four different Judges before it was transferred to Justice Lawal.

When the case was mentioned on Tuesday, the two defendants were absent in Court, but their counsel, Mr Olamide Olabode, told the court that Ayodeji traveled to Imo State, hence his inability to appear before the court.

The State Counsel, Mr Biodun Badiora expressed worry on the delay suffered by the case and urged the court to expedite actions on the matter.

Consequently, the judge adjourned the matter till September 21, 2023 for arraignment and trial.

The two staff of First bank, were 2015 charged on a five-count charge of stealing, keeping of fraudulent account, falsifying books of account and fraudulent false accounting.

The offences were said to be contrary to Sections 435 (B), 438 (B) and 390 (9) of the Criminal Code Law, Cap 3 laws of Osun State 2002.

The prosecution alleged that the two defendants paid the sum of N1 million, into the victim’s account domiciled at First Bank Plc without soliciting for it.

It was also alleged that the two defendants with intent to defraud the victim made or were privy to making false entry into the victim’s account when without authority created a loan account number 3896210013660 in the name of Badiru Adeyemi Oluwafemi, purporting to show that he took the loan on the said account.”