The Kogi state Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Lokoja has remanded a suspected fraudster, Pastor Austin Obaje, in the custody of Medium Correctional Centre, Koton-Karfe.
Pastor Obaje was arraigned before the Chief Magistrate Court Wednesday by the prosecutor of the Department of State Services (DSS) for alleged fake murder and kidnap alarm to defraud an unsuspecting member of the public and extorting over N2 million.
The DSS Prosecutor, Yahaya Olarewaju, brought two count charges against the accused person who he alleged had fraudulently obtained the sum of N300,000 from the chairman Kogi East Neighborhood Watch, Dr. Simeon Oyigu Omakoji, under the false pretence that he was sent by the state director of the DSS, Kogi state command, Mr Tosin Ajayi, thereby committed an offence of cheating by personating, punishable under Section 322 of Kogi State Penal Code.
Pastor Obaje was also accused of extorting Dr. Simeon Oyigu Omakoji, by instilling fear of death in him that the immediate past governor of Kogi state, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, was plotting to assassinate him and collected the sum of N2 million for onward transmission to the state director of DSS to provide adequate security cover.
Though the accused denied the allegations, the DSS prosecution counsel, Yahaya Olarewaju, orally applied for the remand of the accused person pending the conclusion of investigation.
The chief magistrate, Abdullahi Mopa, after listening to both the prosecution and defence counsels, adjourned the case to 9th of May, 2024 for hearing.
