Dr Muhammad Bashir Shamsudeen Lamido, Group Managing Director of Aliqea Group UAE, has been remanded at Kirikiri Medium Correctional Centre by Justice Olubusola Okunuga of the Lagos Special Offences Court, Ikeja.
The remand is for allegedly defrauding another businessman of N105 million.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has charged Lamido and his company, Aliqea Group UAE, with four counts of conspiracy to obtain by false pretence and money laundering, which is contrary to Section 419 of the Criminal Code Act in Nigeria.
Lamido pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against him.
During the trial, the defence counsel, Peter Olomola, requested that Lamido be allowed to remain in EFCC custody after the prosecution requested a trial date.
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Olomola informed the court that they had filed a bail application. However, the prosecution counsel, Ridwan Abdulrasheed, objected to the defendant’s bail application and informed the court of a counter-affidavit opposing the grounds of bail.
Abdulrasheed argued that the defendant may not appear in court again, regardless of the subject of the defendant’s health, as stated by the prosecution. Therefore, he asked the court to deny the bail application.
The defence counsel, Ogbeche, asked the court to consider his written address and said that the defendant has a right to bail. Ogbeche assured the court that the defendant would attend his court date as he has been receiving medical care at the EFCC facility and under the eye of the commission.
The presiding judge, Okunuga, adjourned the matter to December 13, 2023, to fix the trial date.
