The Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned one Jande Michael Aondoaseer before Justice Darius Khobo of the State High Court, sitting in Kaduna State for fraud.
He was arraigned on a one-count charge, bordering on impersonation and obtaining by false pretence to the tune of N32.4million.
The charge read “That you, Jande Michael Aondoaseer (M) with NIN 16972355458, while being the managing director of Lutojan Nigeria Limited, between July and August, 2024 at Kaduna within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, obtained the total sum of N32,400,000.00 (Thirty Two Million, Four Hundred Thousand Naira, only) from one Trappco Ranch & Resort Limited, when you falsely presented yourself as a vendor for Olam Nigeria Limited and in that assumed character, you claimed that you are capable of providing them with 90 tons of cassava chips, which pretence you knew to be false and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1) (b) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”
He pleaded “not guilty” to the charge when it was read to him, prompting the prosecution counsel, W.N. Igbadu to urge the court for a trial date while the defence counsel, S.E Makos prayed the court to grant bail to the defendant.
Justice Khobo granted him bail in the sum of N10 million with one surety, who must be owner of a landed property within the jurisdiction of the court and certified by Kaduna Geographic Information System, KADGIS. The surety must also deposit his passport with the court’s registry.
The matter was adjourned till December 2, 2025 for hearing, while the defendant was remanded in correctional centre pending the fulfilment of his bail conditions.
The road to Aondoaseer’s prosecution began when Clique Legal Consult petitioned the Kaduna Zonal Directorate of the EFCC on behalf of Trappco Ranch and Resort Limited, alleging that sometime in August, 2024 the defendant approached their client to fund the supply of cassava chips from Olam Nigeria Limited with a promise of N9,472,500 return on investment. Subsequently, the petitioner allegedly paid him the sum of N32,400,000.00, following which he became incommunicado.
