The trial of alleged serial fraudster Abayomi Kamaldeen Alaka, who was suspected to be the kingpin of the dreaded ‘Badoo’ Cult that terrorised Ikorodu area of Lagos State, has been adjourned to September 27, 2022.
This was the ruling of a Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, presiding over by Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo following the absence of the new prosecuting counsel.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had assigned the case to a new counsel following the transfer of the old counsel
Alaka was arraigned alongside Morufu Yahaya, Omitogun Ajayi, and Ajisegiri Abiodun before the court for obtaining the sum of N675 million (Six Hundred and Seventy Five Million Naira) under false pretence.
At the resume hearing of the trial, defence counsel, Olalekan Ojo (SAN), informed the court that he was prepared for the trial but was shocked upon hearing that the prosecution has written letter to court that he would not be in court due to ill health.
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The court confirmed that the prosecution had sent letter to the court and they should take a new date for the continuation of trial.
EFCC alleged that sometimes in May, 2018 at Lagos, the defendants, obtained the sum of Six Hundred and Seventy Five Million Naira from Dr. and Dr. Mrs. Lateef Oladimeji Bello for the purpose of conducting prayers for spiritual cleansing of their son and the family and that the money will be refunded after the prayers which pretence they knew to be false.
The offence is said to be Contrary to Section 410 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria No. 11 of 2011.
At the resumption of the last trial, a senior counsel from EFCC, Ms Joy Amaihian, told the court that the Commission expressed its regrets to inform the court that the prosecutor, Nkereuwem Anana, who is handling the trial since their arrangement has been transferred to another jurisdictions.
She further pleaded with the court to grant them adjournment to enable the commission re-assigned another counsel to take over the case file.
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Meanwhile, the defence counsel, Mr. Ojo, who did not opposed the adjournment, however expressed dismay that the Commission did not make arrangements to ensure today’s trial was not forestall.
He added that the Commission did not communicate with the defence team about the update and decided to waste their time in coming to court.
“I’m surprised that the agency will transfer counsel without adequate replacement. It is not also good that they did not communicate to us that the matter is not going on today. If they had told me I’ll not be in this court today,” Ojo said.
But counsel to the commission objected to Ojo’s position saying on the last adjournment date, Mr. Anana was not in court but a junior counsel from the commission stood in for him,” she said.
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The trial judge in adjudicating over the issue raised by the prosecution counsel said the record of the court is clear on what happened on the last adjournment date, stressing that Mr Anana, though came late for the matter he was present in court.
“My record is very clear on what happened on the last adjournment date. Mr. Anana was present in court. He was late and the court had to wait for him so it was not correct that he was not present in court,” the court held.
Subsequently, the presiding judge, Justice Taiwo adjourned further hearing till September 21 for continuation of trial.
It would be recalled that trouble started when the complainants wrote a petition to the EFCC to report being swindled by the defendants under the disguise of spiritual cleansing.
