A socialite, Mary Maisirat Akerele, has been docked by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibadan Zonal Office, on Monday, February 22, 2021, on a five-count charge bordering on stealing N35.52 million, before Justice Abiodun Akinyemi of the Ogun State High Court 4, Abeokuta.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by the EFCC’s Head, Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren, on the same day.
Uwujaren said that the 46-year-old socialite, residing at Aseko area of Idiroko, in the state, got into trouble when the EFCC received a petition, alleging that she collected the money in instalments from one Alhaja Oladoja Abike.
The money was meant for the supply of four truck loads of rice from a rice milling company in Bida, Niger state, but Akerele reportedly diverted the funds.
One of the five-count charge read: “That you Mary Masirat Akerele (trading under the name and style of Goodness of Jesus Global Ventures) on or about the 19th day of September, 2018, at Abeokuta, within the Abeokuta Judicial Division of the Honourable Court, fraudulently converted to your own use the sum of N11million only, property of Fausia Abike Oladoja, and thereby committed an offence of stealing contrary to Section 390(9) of the Criminal Code, Cap. 30, laws of Ogun State, 2006.”
The defendant however pleaded ‘not guilty’ when the charge was read to her.
Counsel to the defendant, H. A Omikunle made an oral application for his client’s bail. However, counsel to EFCC, Shamsuddeen Bashir, opposed the application due to the defendant’s failure to keep the terms of the administrative bail earlier granted her.
Justice Akinyemi ordered the remand of the defendant in the Nigerian Correctional Centre, Ibara, Abeokuta, and adjourned the case till March 4 for the determination of the bail application.
