EFCC arraigns Nigerian-American for alleged $320,000 vehicle import fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has actually arraigned a Nigerian-American, Oluwatobi Adegoke, before Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe of the Special Offences Court, Lagos State, on a one-count charge verging on taking.

A declaration by the Ilorin zonal directorate of the commission on Monday stated Mr Adegoke was arraigned last Thursday, noting he was detained for a supposed cross-border automobile import scams including more than $320,000, around N434.88 million.

“Preliminary examinations exposed that the accused supposedly came from a distribute based in the United States that specialised in defrauding unwary Nigerians under the guise of buying and importing lorries from the United States,” the EFCC mentioned.

According to the commission, additional examination exposed that while living in the U.S., Mr Adegoke apparently marketed and flowed pictures of a 2024 Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG to potential purchasers in Nigeria, declaring that he might buy and deliver the high-end car to them.

“The examination even more developed that 2 victims supposedly paid a combined amount of more than $320,000 (over N434.88 million) in connection with the deal,” it included.

Mr Adegoke was charged for dishonestly transforming the amount of $680,000 home of Ikechukwu Osita Ifeabunike to his own usage after it was moved to the savings account of his business Omosco Auto Sales LLC for purchase of 2022 G Wagon from Mr Robinson

Mr Adegoke, nevertheless, pleaded innocent to the charge.

EFCC counsel, Arazeem Adebayo, advised the court to repair a date for trial and remand the accused in a correctional Centre.

Justice Abike-Fadipe bought that Mr Adegoke be remanded at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre and adjourned the case till January 13, 2027, for trial.