NEWS
Court begins trial of Oak Homes CEO, Olukayode Olusanya for ‘N152m fraud’
The trial of Oak Homes CEO, Olukayode Olusanya, over an alleged N152 million fraud has officially commenced at the Federal High Court in Lagos
On Tuesday, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, Egho Amiebelomo, told the court that the ongoing N152 million fraud case against Olusanya, the founder of Oak Homes Limited, and the company itself, involved allegations of fraud, obtaining under false pretence, and stealing.
Olusanya and his company are facing a four-count charge brought by the police, which includes conspiracy, obtaining money under false pretence, fraud, and stealing.
They were arraigned on November 26, 2024, and pleaded not guilty.
According to the police, Olukayode Olusanya conspired with Lynda Umeh—Head of Sales and Marketing at Oak Homes, who is currently at large—to defraud a Nigerian-American engineer, Anthony Ugbebor.
The alleged fraud occurred between November 8, 2017, and August 4, 2020, when they reportedly convinced Ugbebor to pay N152 million for two three-bedroom apartments at Oak Residence in Victoria Island, with a promise to deliver the property by February 28, 2019.
However, the property was never handed over.
At a previous hearing on February 10, 2025, the prosecution attempted to submit both the complainant’s petition and the defendant’s statement as evidence, but the defence objected.
Justice Musa Kakaki had adjourned the ruling on the admissibility of those documents to Tuesday.
At the resumed session, Justice Kakaki ruled on the matter. While the complainant’s petition was admitted and marked as Exhibit A, the defendant’s statement was rejected.
The judge explained: “The petition sought to be tendered is signed. I admit the same in evidence and mark it as Exhibit A.”
Regarding the defendant’s statement, the judge ruled: “The statement is hereby marked as rejected.”
He stated the prosecution had failed to comply with Section 17(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.
Taking the stand as the first prosecution witness, Amiebelomo testified that he had invited three additional witnesses—Mrs. Kofo Coker, Mr. Seye, and Mr. Shuiabu—during his investigation.
When asked by prosecuting counsel Supol M. A. Omo-Osagie if any of them submitted documents, he replied: “Yes, they tendered the payment receipt and offer letter from the defendant, issued in 2017, which the complainant, Anthony Ugbebor, accepted.”
The judge then adjourned the trial to July 8, 2025, for continuation.
During cross-examination, defence counsel Adeleke Agboola (SAN) asked Amiebelomo when the petition was dated. He responded: “It was dated December 27, 2023.”
He added that the petition was submitted to the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 2, and was assigned to him for investigation on the same day.
Amiebelomo also confirmed that he met Ugbebor in person after the petition was transferred to his department, and that the complainant made and signed a statement in his presence.
When asked to verify the authenticity of the signature on the petition, the officer said: “I’m not a signature expert.”
He further disclosed that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had previously handled the case but said he was unaware that Olusanya had refunded N110 million to the EFCC via bank draft.
He also stated that Olukayode Olusanya did not inform him of any partial payment during the investigation.
Under questioning, Amiebelomo said he was unaware of a civil suit—No. LD447LMW/2023—pending before the Lagos State High Court, in which a pre-emptive injunction had reportedly been granted against both the complainant and the EFCC.
“They were not served,” he stated.
Agboola argued that the case was purely civil in nature and pointed to existing court decisions prohibiting police involvement in such matters.
However, the prosecution objected to this line of questioning.
Citing legal authority, Omo-Osagie maintained that civil transactions could become criminal if fraud is involved. He invoked Section 135 of the Evidence Act and urged the court to disregard the defence’s argument.
Counsel for Oak Homes, Mr. E. Jude, later suggested that Amiebelomo’s investigation was inconclusive. The officer responded:
“My investigation was conclusive. When I visited the location, the building was not complete.”
When asked if the defendant offered any explanation during the investigation for failing to deliver the property, Amiebelomo replied: “Yes.”
He added: “The defendant said the price he agreed with Ugbebor was no longer workable for him, as costs had increased, and that he would not go ahead with the initial terms. That was what he told me.”
Asked whether Olusanya mentioned COVID-19 or the sealing of the property by the Lagos State Government as reasons for the delay, Amiebelomo said:
“No, he didn’t mention COVID or the sealing of the building by the Lagos State Government.”
(S) Witnessngr
The family of Chief Samuel Ayodele Adebanjo, revered nationalist, elder statesman, and leader of the Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, has formally announced the funeral arrangements following his passing on February 14, 2025, at the age of 96.A series of events have been planned to honour the life, legacy, and values of the late Pa Ayo Adebanjo — a man widely respected for his lifelong dedication to democracy, Yoruba unity, and national development.In a statement by the chairman of the burial planning committee, Dr. Biodun Shobanjo, on behalf of the family, they expressed their deep gratitude for the outpouring of support and prayers received since his passing and welcomed well-wishers to participate in celebrating the life of their beloved patriarch.The funeral arrangements are as follows:Day of Tributes/Service of Songs Wednesday, April 30th, 2025 || 2 p.m. Eko Hotels & Suites, Victoria Island, LagosColour: Shades of GreenWake Friday, May 2nd, 2025 || 4 p.m. Pa Ayo Adebanjo’s Country Home,, Isanya Ogbo, near Ijebu Ode, Ogun StateColour: Alari of GoldChurch Service/Funeral Saturday, May 3rd, 2025 || 10.a.m. St. Phillips Anglican Church, Isanya Ogbo, near Ijebu Ode, Ogun StateColour: Powder Blue Gele/Cap on Ankara or Royal Blue LaceThanksgiving Sunday, May 4th, 2025 || 10.a.m. St. Phillips Anglican Church, Isanya Ogbo, near Ijebu Ode, Ogun StateThe family invites friends, colleagues, political associates, and the general public to join them in paying final respects to a man whose courage, integrity, and unwavering belief in justice left an indelible mark on Nigeria’s political history.Chief Samuel Ayodele Adebanjo, widely known as Chief Ayo Adebanjo or Pa Ayo Adebanjo, was born on the 10th of April, 1928, in Ogun State, in the south-western region of Nigeria. He was born into the family of Joel Adebanjo Adedairo and Salamotu Odubanke. Chief Adebanjo began his public journey as a journalist before proceeding to the United Kingdom to study law. He was called to the English Bar in 1961.His political journey began in 1943 as a member of the Zikist Movement, before joining the youth wing of the Action Group in 1951, where he became a political disciple of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo. Throughout his life, Chief Adebanjo remained a fearless advocate for democratic governance, true federalism, and Yoruba interests within the Nigerian federation.He will be remembered as a titan of Nigeria’s nationalist struggle and a principled voice in the country’s post-independence political evolution.SIGNED:Mrs. Ayotunde Atteh (nee Ayo-Adebanjo)Mrs. Adeola Azeez (nee Ayo-Adebanjo)Mr. Obafemi Ayo-AdebanjoFor The FamilyApril 24, 2025
Governor Umar Bago of Niger State has declared zero tolerance for rascality even as he has directed security agencies to arrest individuals wearing dreadlocks in Minna, the state capital.
The directive was issued during Tuesday’s high-level stakeholders’ security meeting at the Government House.
Governor Bago instructed security agencies to not only arrest those with dreadlocks but also forcibly shave their hair and impose fines on them.
“We will have zero tolerance for rascality. Anybody that you find with dreadlocks, arrest, barb the hair, and fine him,” Bago declared.
“Nobody should carry any kind of haircut inside Minna. I have given marching orders to security agencies.”
The meeting, attended by security operatives and traditional rulers, focused on clamping down on what the governor described as rising criminality and disorder in the state.
“Parents should warn their children. From this moment, it’s 100% fire-for-fire,” he said. “Also, any house found harbouring criminals should be demolished. Niger State is not for useless people.”
Among other measures announced were restrictions on commercial motorcycles and tricycles, which are now banned from operating between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m., except for emergency medical purposes.
The governor also directed traditional and community leaders, including district, village and ward heads, to ensure accurate documentation of all residents in their areas.
Union Bank of Nigeria Plc led by Yetunde Oni, is currently grappling with a massive N9.3 billion fraud following a significant operational system breach, THE WITNESS reports.
The development comes exactly one year and three months after the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) sacked the bank’s board and entire management, citing governance failures. A new management team was subsequently appointed to lead the financial institution.
Union Bank is battling to recover the sum of N9,329,322,870.00 (nine billion, three hundred and twenty-nine million, three hundred and twenty-two thousand, eight hundred and seventy naira), withdrawn from customers’ accounts without authorization.
In a suit marked FHC/L/CS/629/2025, filed before the Federal High Court in Lagos, seen by THE WITNESS, Union Bank sought a preservative order compelling the financial institutions involved to place Post No Debit restrictions on the accounts of all beneficiaries and to return the stolen funds traced to their institutions.
According to the bank, the fraud followed an operational failure and fraud in its core banking system on March 23, 2025, which led to unauthorized transfers from customers’ accounts.
An affidavit deposed to by Oluwasegun Falola, head of the E-Fraud Investigations Department at Union Bank, stated that the funds were fraudulently and erroneously transferred from the bank to various accounts across 53 financial institutions.
Falola explained that on March 23, 2025, the bank observed that N9.3 billion had been debited from customer accounts and dispersed into various accounts maintained by the respondent banks. He added that Union Bank immediately contacted the banks involved in a bid to halt further dissipation of the funds.
“The Fraud Desk Department of the bank, in the course of its investigations, discovered that the monies were transferred in trickles into several accounts domiciled with the 1st to 54th Respondents,” the affidavit stated.
Union Bank attributed the unauthorized debits to a system glitch and exploitation, which it says enabled the illicit transfers.
“The funds were erroneously and fraudulently transferred from customers’ accounts.
“Upon further investigation, it was found that the funds were subsequently moved from these primary beneficiary accounts to other accounts also held by the respondents.”
The bank disclosed that it had submitted the list of recipient accounts to the respective financial institutions as a preliminary measure to recover any remaining funds
To support its recovery efforts, the bank said its internal audit and legal departments compiled detailed reports tracing the flow of funds and identifying all beneficiary accounts.
When the case was mentioned on April 2, 2025, Union Bank’s counsel, A. Adedoyin-Adeniyi, informed the court that the stolen funds were still being moved.
“₦9.3 billion has been moved from the account, and they are still moving funds. We now have more people involved in moving the funds,” the lawyer told the court.
To support its recovery efforts, the bank said its internal audit and legal departments compiled detailed reports tracing the flow of funds and identifying all beneficiary accounts.
When the case was mentioned on April 2, 2025, Union Bank’s counsel, A. Adedoyin-Adeniyi, informed the court that the stolen funds were still being moved.
“₦9.3 billion has been moved from the account, and they are still moving funds. We now have more people involved in moving the funds,” the lawyer told the court.
In his ruling, Justice Deinde Dipeolu agreed with the submissions and thereafter granted a motion ex parte filed by the bank concerning the unauthorized fund transfers.
“Having reviewed the motion ex parte, the application is hereby granted,” the judge ruled.
The incident has raised broader concerns about the security of Nigeria’s banking infrastructure, especially as interbank transactions continue to increase. Financial analysts suggest that outdated systems and inadequate oversight may be exacerbating vulnerabilities, heightening the risk of fraud and transactional errors.
Union Bank did not respond to THE WITNESS’ inquiries as at press time.
(S) Witnessngr
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