The Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Friday, March 11 arraigned one Kolawole Adedayo Erinle alongside his firm, Rinde-Remdex Nigeria Limited before Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of a Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos on an amended three-count charge bordering on conspiracy, retention of proceeds of criminal conduct, and obtaining money under false pretence to the tune of $1,410,000 (One Million Four-Hundred and Ten Thousand United States Dollars).
The defendant is alleged to have engaged in Business Email Compromise, BEC, fraud to defraud his victim. The fraudulent case, which was reported to the EFCC by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), alleged that in 2019, Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences (KCUMB), transferred $1,412,509 USD to an account believed to be that of a contractor.
Investigation into the alleged crime, however, revealed that the defendant benefited the fund, which was transferred in two tranches to a company in Nigeria. The defendant on receipt of the fund, disbursed it to his wife, mother and cronies. The proceeds were further traced to fixed deposits, assets; landed and vehicular, that he purchased.
One of the charges reads: “Kolawole Adedayo Erinle and Edward Dada (still at large), sometimes in 2019, at Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court conspired to falsely represent yourselves as J.E. Dunn, a local construction company in America, with intent to gain monetary advantage in the sum of $1,410,000 (One Million Four-Hundred and Ten Thousand United States Dollars) by creating a fake domain name jedunn.org and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8 of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Related Offences Act No 14, 2006.”
Another count reads: “Kolawole Adedayo Erinle, Rinde-Remdex Nigeria Limited and Edward Dada (still at large) on or about the 3rd day of May 2019 at Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court retain the control of $1,410,000 (One Million Four-Hundred and Ten Thousand United States Dollars) in your Access Bank account which sum you knew to be proceeds of various internet and cybercrime.”
He pleaded “not guilty” to the charges.
Thereafter, the prosecuting counsel, T.J. Banjo prayed the Court for a trial date and for the remand of the defendant at a Correctional Facility.
Defence counsel, Yinka Farombi, who informed the Court of the bail application for his client, however, prayed the Court to remand him at the EFCC custody pending hearing of the application.
The application for his remand at the EFCC custody was however opposed to by the prosecution on the grounds that after arraignment the “right place of custody is the Correctional Centre”.
Thereafter Justice Taiwo adjourned till March 15, 2022 for “hearing of bail application” and ordered that the defendant be remanded in EFCC custody till then.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
