EFCC Arraigns Man Over Alleged ₦13.6m Property Fraud in Oyo
Yusuf Oyepeju and two companies face six counts involving alleged forgery, stealing by conversion and obtaining money under false pretence.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned Yusuf Oyepeju before the Oyo State High Court in Ibadan over an alleged property-related fraud involving ₦13,697,900. Oyepeju was arraigned alongside Alwajeez International Nigeria Limited and AIN Homes and Property Limited on a six-count charge.
According to the EFCC, the charges include forgery, uttering of documents, stealing by conversion and obtaining money under false pretence. The commission alleges that the defendant defrauded Fasasi Bayonle, a Nigerian Islamic cleric based in Dubai, whom Oyepeju reportedly met through a WhatsApp group focused on Islamic teachings.
One of the counts alleges that Oyepeju and the two companies converted ₦8,697,900 belonging to Bayonle for their personal use between February and August 2020. The allegations relate to money and property transactions connected to accommodation and real estate in Ibadan.
When the charges were read in court, Oyepeju pleaded not guilty. Prosecuting counsel Sanusi Galadanchi subsequently requested a date for trial and asked the court to remand the defendant in a correctional facility. His lawyer, B. Ajibola, told the court that a bail application had already been filed and served on the prosecution.
Justice Olusola Adetujoye adjourned the matter for the hearing of the bail application and ordered that Oyepeju be remanded at Agodi Correctional Centre in Ibadan. The case remains an allegation at this stage, and the defendant’s not-guilty plea means the prosecution will have to prove the charges in court.
