A Special Offenses Court, sitting in Ikeja, Lagos State has fixed January 17 and 18, 2022 for the managing director and chief executive officer of the defunct Firs Nation Airways, Mr. Kayode Odukoya to open his case in a N1.7 billion fraud case preferred against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The court presided over by Justice Mojisola Dada, had heard the prosecution close its case on November 30, 2020, after calling five witnesses and tendering several documents to prove his case.
However, instead of opening his defence, the defendant, through his counsel, Mr. Edoka Onyeke filed a no-case submission.
Onyeke had urged the court to “dismiss the seven-count charge and to discharge the defendant,” while the prosecuting counsel, A.B.C. Ozioko, had argued that there was “legally admissible evidence against the defendant to warrant him to enter his defense and to explain his role in the charge.”
In her ruling, Justice Dada dismissed the no-case submission and ordered the defendant to open his case on January 17 and 18.
Recall that Odukoya was arraigned in 2018 on a four-count charge of alleged theft of N1.7 billion and forgery of certificate of occupancy (CofO) issued by the Lagos state government.
Odukoya is standing trial alongside First Nation Airways Limited and Bellview Airlines Limited on a seven-count charge bordering on forgery, use of false document, perjury, stealing and obtaining credit by fraud contrary to sections 85(1), 86(1), 278(1)&(b), 285(1), 313(1)(a) &(b), 361(1)(a)& (b), 363 (1) and 364(1) of the criminal law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2011. 2022.
The defendant allegedly forged the Memorandum of Loss of Lagos State Certificate of Occupancy in respect of a property located in Lagos, so it could be acted upon as genuine.
One of the counts reads: “That you, Kayode Odukoya, on or about the 21st day of March, 2013 in Lagos within the Lagos Judicial Division knowingly forged the Memorandum of Loss of Lagos State Certificate of Occupancy Registered as No. 33 at page 33 in Volume 1011 at the Lagos State Registry, Alausa, Ikeja in respect of property being and situated at No. 29 Oduduwa Street, Ikeja GRA Lagos State with intent that the document may in any way be used or acted on as genuine to the prejudice of another.”
Another reads: “That you, Kayode Odukoya, First Nation Airways Limited and Bellview Airlines Limited, on or about the 7th day of October, 2016 in Lagos within the Lagos Judicial Division dishonestly converted for your own use the sum of N1, 742, 994, 962.04 (One Billion, Seven Hundred and Forty-one Million, Nine Hundred and Ninety-four Thousand, Nine Hundred and Sixty-two Naira, Four Kobo) property of Skye Bank Plc.”
