The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Ibadan Zonal Command have arraigned eleven students of Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU before Justice Nathaniel Ayo-Emmanuel of the Federal High Court, Osogbo, Osun State for their alleged involvement in internet fraud.
The agency arraigned the six persons on Monday, November 6, 2023 levelling various charges against them at the court. The defendants were arraigned on different count charges ranging from one to six as preferred against them by the EFCC.
Nine of the defendants were arraigned on one -count charge each, while two of them had six count- charges filed against each of them.
Upon their arraignments, the defendants all pleaded not guilty to the charges filed against them.
The prosecution counsel, Oluwatoyin Owodunni asked the court to fix trial dates and demanded that the defendants be remanded at a Correctional Centre.
The defence counsels informed the court of motions for bail applications filed on behalf of their clients which have been served on the prosecution and urged the court to admit six defendants to bail in the most liberal terms.
Having listened to the prayers of both parties, Justice Ayo-Emmanuel granted the bail of six of the defendants on stringent conditions which included providing sureties with verifiable statuses and sum of money which runs into millions of Naira.
The judge adjourned the matters to November 29 and December 12, 2023 respectively for commencement of trial and remanded the defendants at the Ilesha Correctional Centre, Osun State pending the perfection of their bail conditions.
The defendants were among the sixty-nine suspected internet fraudsters arrested on Wednesday, November 01, 2023 at Oduduwa Estate area of Ile-Ife in Osun State.
