De Rock Club owner remanded for allegedly defrauding Americans

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned the owner of De Rock Club in Ibadan Adepoju Sunday alias SSG over alleged fraud before a Federal High Court in Oyo.

He was arraigned on Wednesday before Justice Uche Agomoh, the anti-graft agency disclosed this in a statement signed by its spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren.

Uwajeren said the defendant was arrested on August 31, 2022, alongside 21 other suspected internet fraudsters, in an intelligence-driven operation carried out by the operatives of its Ibadan zonal command.

He was arrested with a 2020 Range Rover HSE SUV, an iPhone 13 Pro Max and HP laptop, among others.

The anti-graft agency stated that the defendant was arraigned on two separate charges for his alleged involvement in cybercrime and obtaining money under false pretense to the tune of N31,821,000.

According to Uwujaren, the first charge, containing eight counts, bordered on identity theft, obtaining COVID–19 and unemployment benefits from the United States Government, while the other 19 counts are premised on transfer of proceeds of crime to one Owoade David.

He said investigations revealed that Adepoju, 36, who claimed to be a graduate of industrial chemistry of the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, Osun State had, during the COVID–19 pandemic allegedly swindled the American government and unsuspecting American citizens of thousands of dollars.

The defendant pleaded not guilty.

Consequently, the prosecutor Mabas Mabur asked the court for a trial date and that the suspect be remanded pending the determination of the case.

However, counsel to the defendant Olaniyi George informed the court that he filed two separate bail applications on behalf of his client and prayed the court to grant the defendant bail.

But Mabur told the court to reject the applications on the grounds that the defendant is a flight risk and has pending charges against him in other law courts.

Justice Agomoh thereafter adjourned the matter till April 18 for ruling and ordered that the defendant be remanded in the Agodi Correctional facility.