The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned a self-acclaimed native doctor, Olorunbukunmi Taiwo, and his wife, Awolegan Omolola Omotola, before the Federal High Court in Ado-Ekiti over an alleged N1.098 billion contract fraud.
The couple were brought before Justice Abubakar Usman on a six-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence and retention of proceeds of crime.
The prosecution, led by the Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the EFCC, accused the defendants of offences contrary to Section 17(a) of the EFCC (Establishment) Act, 2004.
In a statement issued by the EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, the anti-graft agency said the suspects were arrested following a petition submitted by a widow, Anazia Colina Kenechukwu, who owns a private school in Delta State.
According to the petitioner, Taiwo allegedly approached her with a proposal to finance the execution of a road construction contract he claimed had been awarded to him by the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC.
She alleged that based on the representation, she paid substantial sums of money into an account belonging to Taiwo.
Investigations by the EFCC reportedly revealed that a total of N1.98 billion was transferred into the defendant’s Access Bank account in connection with the purported contract arrangement.
Further findings by investigators indicated that part of the alleged proceeds was used to acquire properties in Ado-Ekiti.
The commission identified the assets as Town Tavern Lounge, located along Ikere Road in Ado-Ekiti, and a four-bedroom bungalow situated within Florence Court, Irewolede Estate, Ado-Ekiti.
The EFCC disclosed that it had earlier secured an interim forfeiture order on the two properties on May 25, 2026.
One of the charges against the defendants reads: “That you, Olorunbukunmi Taiwo and Awolegan Omolola Omotola, sometime between January 2024 and November 2025, in Ilorin within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N1,098,961,500.00 (One Billion, Ninety-Eight Million, Nine Hundred and Sixty-One Thousand, Five Hundred Naira) from one Anazia Colina Kenechukwu, which was paid to you through Olorunbukunmi Taiwo’s account number 0027303340 domiciled with Access Bank Plc, by falsely representing that same would be used to execute a road construction contract awarded to you by the Delta State Oil Producing Area Development Commission (DESOPADEC), a pretence you knew to be false, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under Section 1(3) of the same Act.”
The defendants pleaded not guilty to all the charges when they were read in court.
Following their pleas, EFCC counsel, Sesan Ola, requested a trial date and urged the court to remand the defendants pending the determination of the case.
Justice Usman subsequently adjourned the case until June 11, 2026, for hearing of the bail applications and commencement of trial.
The court also ordered that the defendants be remanded in the EFCC custody pending further proceedings.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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