KINGSLEY EBERE
A Lagos State Magistrate Court sitting in Ejigbo is set for the trial of the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Jokas Football Academy, Joseph Ogang Edward, over allegations of over N18m visa scandal.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the defendant, Mr. Joseph Edward, was arraigned before the Court by Police operatives from Igando Division following reports by the affected victims.
The Police alleged that Mr. Edward obtained and converted the money in question for the procurement of travelling visas and flight tickets to Dubai and Spain belonging to one Parkers Zander Iduma ‘M’ and 29 others to his personal use.
When the complainants waited in vain for the travelling documents as they had agreed before they paid the money, they reported the matter to the Police. The operatives moved into action, arrested Mr. Edward and detained him at the station for interrogation over the alleged conduct.
The Police investigated the matter through the I.P.O., Inspector Alechenu Onmoiji of the Igando Division and found him culpable.
He was subsequently charged before the Court for the alleged offence under the Criminal Laws of the State, which attracts several years of imprisonment.
The charges read:
“That you, Joseph Ogang Edward ‘M’ in between 8th day of August 2021 and November, 2022 at about 1000hrs at No 10/11, Abbey Plaza, Igando, Lagos in the Ejigbo Magisterial District, did unlawfully obtain from one Parkers Zander Iduma ‘M’ N3,760,000.00k, Jerry Ojiaku ‘M’ and Chigozie ‘M’ N1,920,000.00k, Njoku Kingsley Mmaduabuchi ‘M’ N2,151,000.00k Okoro Emmanuel Izuchukwu ‘M’ N2,200,000.00k George will Shammah Awoala ‘M’ N2,493,000.00k, Abioye Oluwasegun Sheriff ‘M’ N660,000.00k, Kabir Sani Shettima ‘M’ N1,652,000.00k, Ode Dennis Ayoola ‘M’ N350,000.00k, Okweye Lucky ‘M’ N500,000.00k, Iliasu Musa ‘M’ N1,720,000.00k and Frank Chinemerem Osuigbo ‘M’ N900,000.00 under the pretence of procuring travelling visas and flight tickets to Dubai, United Arab Emirates and Spain, to the total sum of Eighteen Million Three Hundred and Six Thousand Naira (N18,306,000.00k) property of one Parkers Zander Iduma ‘M’ and Twenty Nine others and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 314 of the criminal laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015.”
COUNT II:” That you, Joseph Ogang Edward ‘M’ on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned Magisterial District, did convert the sum of Eighteen Million Three Hundred and Six Thousand and Naira (N18,306,000.00k) to your own personal use, being money given to you for the procurement of travelling visas and flight tickets to Dubai and Spain property of one Parkers Zander Iduma ‘M’ and Twenty Nine others and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 287 of the criminal laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015.”
However, he pleaded not guilty.
The prosecutor, Supol Benedict Aigbokhan, did not object to his being granted bail but asked the Court to give a date for hearing since he pleaded not guilty to enable the Police to prove that he actually committed the alleged offence.
The Court granted him bail with sureties and he perfected the bail conditions. He was released from the correctional center at Kirikiri town and since then has been facing trial.
The matter had suffered several adjournments in the past before the Presiding Magistrate, Mrs. A.K.Dosumu-Uthman, adjourned the matter for continuation of trial on 13th June, 2025.