Seun Egbegbe To Appear In Court After Spending 20 Months In Prison

Nollywood film-maker, Olajide Kazeem, also known as Seun Egbegbe, who was unable to meet the #5m bail granted to him by the Federal High Court in Lagos, has spent about 20 months in prison custody.

He has been in prison since February, 10, 2017, after he was arraigned by the police for alleged serial frauds involving N39, 098,100, $90,000 and £12,550.

Report by the police had revealed that Egbegbe fraudulently obtained the money from more than 40 Bureau De Change operators in Lagos between 2015 and 2017.

The film-maker alongside one Oyekan Ayomide, was arraigned before Justice Oluremi Oguntoyinbo for 36 counts bordering on advance fee fraud.

The charge sheet was subsequently amended twice, with the counts eventually increased to 40 and three other defendants Lawal Kareem, Olalekan Yusuf and Muyideen Shoyombo added.

Innocent Anyigor, the prosecuting counsel for the police, stated that Egbegbe and the other defendants acted contrary to Section 8 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006 and were liable to be punished under Section 1(3) of the same Act.

However, they pleaded not guilty to the allegation. Anyigor, had told the court that he had no fewer than 40 witnesses, icluding BDC operators, who testify in the court case.

Over 30 BDC operator had stormed the court for the trail, but so far, four witnesses have been called.

The trial had been slowed down sometimes due to inability of investigating police officers, who were listed as witnesses, to attend the court.

At other times, the case was stalled because the Hausa BDC operators, who were listed as witnesses, complained of inability to either speak or understand English language and an interpreter had to be arranged.

The case was last heard on November 1, 2018 and it is billed to resume today.