FUJI MUSICIAN ARRAIGNED OVER ALLEGED N21.25M FRAUD, GETS N10M BAIL

A Fuji musician, Felix Osagie, was on Thursday arraigned before an Ikeja Special Offences Court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an alleged N21.25m fraud.

Osagie was arraigned on a four-count charge bordering on stealing, obtaining money by false pretence, retention of proceeds of crime and giving false information.

He, however, pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

EFCC counsel, Lamido Ochuko, told the court that the defendant allegedly committed the offences in Lagos sometime in 2020 and on April 2, 2026.

The prosecution alleged that Osagie fraudulently converted N21.25m belonging to one Joseph Oguche to his personal use.

Following the defendant’s plea, Ochuko urged the court to fix a date for trial and remand him in a correctional facility.

However, defence counsel, Sunday Afolabi, informed the court that a bail application dated November 4 and filed on November 5 had been submitted on behalf of his client.

He said the application was supported by an 18-paragraph affidavit deposed to by the defendant’s wife.

Afolabi told the court that Osagie was diabetic and had become unable to walk due to his deteriorating health condition.

He added that the defendant’s health had worsened while in EFCC custody and that he had been in and out of hospital since his release from the commission’s custody.

In response, the prosecution informed the court that it had filed a counter-affidavit dated November 10, urging the judge to consider its sixth paragraph, which alleged that the defendant had been jumping bail since July.

Ochuko also disclosed that the prosecution intended to call four witnesses to testify against the defendant.

In his ruling, Justice Ismail Ijelu granted Osagie bail in the sum of N10m with two sureties in like sum.

The judge directed that the sureties must be blood relatives of the defendant and must have paid taxes to the Lagos State Government within the last three years.

He further ordered that the sureties provide evidence of verifiable sources of income.

The court also directed Osagie to surrender his international passport to the registrar and barred him from travelling outside Nigeria.

Pending the perfection of his bail conditions, the judge ordered that the defendant be remanded in a correctional centre.

The case was adjourned until December 16 for commencement of trial.