The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Lagos command, has brought charges against Oriyomi Idowu and Ruth Idowu before Justice Mojisola Dada at the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos.
The charges, totalling N2,757,188,000.00, include offences such as obtaining money through false pretence, money laundering, stealing, retaining stolen property, and forgery.
The couple and enterprises belonging to Ruth Idowu (Food Commodity Processing Enterprise, Bonway Food Processing Company Limited, Samee Idowu Company Limited, and Farmex Integrated Companies Limited) pleaded “not guilty” to the 20-count charges.
Upon their plea, the prosecution counsel, Bilikisu Buhari, requested a trial date and urged the court to remand the defendants to a Correctional Facility.
The counsel for the first defendant, G. Onwubuya, mentioned an outstanding bail application and proposed remanding the defendants in EFCC custody, requesting a short adjournment for the bail application.
Buhari objected, stating that the EFCC holding facility was already overwhelmed, and insisted that a correctional centre was the appropriate post-arraignment place. The judge noted the absence of a bail application for the second defendant, represented by J.J. Ogunyemi.
As a result, Justice Dada set the next court date for December 15, 2023, and ordered the defendants to be remanded at the correctional centre “pending the hearing and determination of their bail applications.”
