The Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has brought before Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos, a couple identified as Oriyomi Idowu and Ruth Idowu.
On Tuesday, November 28, 2023, the couple faced charges encompassing 20 counts related to offenses such as obtaining money by false pretenses, money laundering, stealing, retention of stolen property, and forgery, all amounting to N2.7 billion.
The accused were joined in the arraignment by entities including Food Commodity Processing Enterprise, Bonway Food Processing Company Limited, Samee Idowu Company Limited, and Farmex Integrated Companies Limited, all belonging to Ruth Idowu. One of the counts states, “Ruth Sameeha Idowu, aka Loiry Ventures, Oriyomi Kabeer Idowu, aka Yocli Ventures, Food Commodity Processing Enterprise, Bonway Food Processing Company Ltd, Samee Idowu Company Limited, Farmex Integrated Companies Limited, sometime in 2023 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court, converted the sum of N10,000,000 to purchase a GLK Benz, purchase sum derived from converting the sum of N500,000,000 belonging to Creditpro Business Support Services with the aim of disguising the illegal origin of the funds.”
Upon hearing the charges, the defendants pleaded “not guilty.” In response, the prosecution counsel, Bilikisu Buhari, requested a trial date and the remand of the defendants at a Correctional Facility.
G. Onwubuya, counsel for the first defendant, informed the court of the pending bail application and urged the court to remand the defendants in EFCC custody, seeking a short adjournment for the hearing of the bail application.
The judge noted the absence of a bail application for the second defendant and adjourned the matter until December 15, 2023. She ordered that the defendants be remanded at the Correctional Centre “pending the hearing and determination of their bail applications.”
