A former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.Gen. Ishaya Bamaiyi (retd.), on
Tuesday, narrated to a Lagos State High Court in Ikeja, how he was allegedly
swindled by an alleged serial fraudster, Fred Ajudua, with the aid of a
suspended court registrar, Mrs. Oluronke Rosulu.
General Bamaiyi, who appeared as a witness on Tuesday before
Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo, where Rosulu, then registrar to Justice Olubunmi
Oyewole, is facing two counts of conspiracy and obtaining money by false
pretences.
According to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Rosulu
allegedly connived with Ajudua to defraud Bamaiyi of $330, 000 on November 20,
2004.
The money was allegedly obtained from Bamaiyi by Ajudua with the
aid of Rosulu, under the false pretence that the sum represented the
professional or legal fee demanded by Chief Afe Babalola (SAN).
Rosulu, whose trial had now been separated from that of Ajudua for
want of speedy trial, was alleged by the EFCC to have contraved Section 1 (3)
of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act No. 13 of 1995.
Led in evidence by the EFCC lawyer, Seidu Atteh, Bamaiyi narrated,
“On November 23, 1999, I was in cell 5, first floor, at Kirikiri Maximum
Prisons. Later Ajudua and Ade Bendel were brought in at the block. I and Ajudua
were together in my cell, so we became friends.
“Ajudua told me that he was a lawyer and that he had studied my
case, and found out that it was purely political. Ajudua told me that he was
interested in the case and that he had sent his wife to see the Lagos Chief
Judge, Justice Ade Alabi and the state Attorney General, Prof. Yemi
Osinbajo, over the matter. I was told that the CJ was the one in contact with
Chief Babalola.
“I was told that Chief (Afe) Babalola charged $18m as professional
fee. I was then told that the money was to be paid through Justice Oyewole.
Ajudua told me that Justice Oyewole was going to send his registrar (Rosulu).
“On October 23, 2004, which was Rosulu’s first visit to me in
Kirikiri, the defendant came to the visiting room with Ajudua and
confirmed to me that she was sent by Justice Oyewole. She came with Ajudua
alongside a prison officer, ACP Abdullahi Garuba.
“On November 6, 2004 at 10am, which was her second visit, the
defendant came with Ajudua to the prison, alongside ACP Garuba. This time she
came with her daughter, who she said was from the university. The defendant
assured me that any money released through Justice Oyewole would get to Chief
Babalola.
“Before the defendant’s third visit on November 20, 2004, a friend
of mine had arranged $330,000 for me. The money was brought in a
‘Ghana-Must-Go’ to the prison. I showed Ajudua the money and he said he would
send one Jonathan, his boy, to assist us in counting the money. The money was
counted in the presence of the defendant (Rosulu) and the prison officer (ACP
Garuba).
“That evening, Ajudua told me that the defendant called and
confirmed delivering the said money to Justice Oyewole and same had been taken
to Chief Babalola. I never met her again until December 19, 2013 at the
Lagos office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. Not hearing from
Chief Babalola after a while, then Ajudua had travelled to India, I suspected
that something was wrong.
“I called Ajudua’s line in India to tell him that Justice Oyewole
said he never received any money and Chief Babalola did not handle my case.
Ajudua asked me how I got Justice Oyewole’s number and since then he stopped
receiving call on that line.”
During cross-examination by the defence counsel, Mr. Bamidele
Ogundele, the retired General said Rosulu never introduced herself to him as a
legal officer or an employee in the office of Chief Babalola.
Bamaiyi added that Rosulu did not sign any document on
receiving the $330,000 claimed to be part payment for Babalola’s legal
services.
Rosulu’s trial was, on October 24 last year, separated from that
of Ajudua, who had hitherto stalled the proceeding with various applications.
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