The Police, on Thursday, arraigned 43-year-old Salimon Ola before an Ado-Ekiti Chief Magistrate’s Court over alleged N22.5 million fraud. The defendant, who hails from Ita-Akun, Ikire in Osun State, is facing a two-count charge of conspiracy and fraud.
The prosecutor, ASP Akinwale Oriyomi, told the court that the defendant and others still at large committed the offence sometime in July 2025 in Ado-Ekiti. Oriyomi alleged that the defendant conspired with others to obtain money under false pretence.
He said that the defendant obtained the sum of N22.5 million from the complainant, Mr Olarewaju Ismaila, on the pretext of purchasing and supplying cocoa beans for him.
According to the prosecutor, the offence contravened Sections 421 and 329(1)(a), (1)(b), (2) and (3) of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021.
Oriyomi sought for an adjournment to enable him to study the case file and assemble his witnesses. The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against him.
Counsel for the defendant, Mr Gboyega Abiola, urged the court to grant the defendant bail, with a promise that he would not jump bail.
In her ruling, the Chief Magistrate, Mrs Kehinde Awosika, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum.
Awosika said one of the sureties must produce a landed property within the court’s jurisdiction, while the second surety must be a community leader. She adjourned the case to November 27 for hearing.
