The suspect

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibadan Zonal Office on Monday arraigned a socialite, Mary Maisirat Akerele on a five-count charge bordering on alleged stealing to the tune of N35,520,000.00.

She was arraigned before Justice Abiodun Akinyemi of the Ogun State High Court 4, Abeokuta.

Trouble started for the 46-years-old socialite, who resides in Aseko area of Idiroko Ogun State, when the EFCC received a petition, alleging that she collected the said sum in installments from one Alhaja Oladoja Abike for the purpose of supplying four truck-load of rice from a rice milling company in Bida, Niger State but diverted the funds.

One of the charge reads: “That you Mary Masirat Akerele (trading under the name and style of Goodness of Jesus Global Ventures) on or about the 19th day of September, 2018 at Abeokuta within the Abeokuta Judicial Division of the Honourable Court, fraudulently converted to your own use the sum of N11, 000,000.00 only property of Fausia Abike Oladoja and thereby committed an offence of stealing contrary to Section 390(9) of the Criminal Code, Cap. 30, laws of Ogun State, 2006.”

The defendant pleaded ‘not guilty’ when the charge was read to her.

Counsel to the defendant, H. A. Omikunle made an oral application for his client’s bail.

However, Shamsuddeen Bashir, counsel to EFCC, opposed the application due to the defendant’s alleged failure to keep the terms of the administrative bail earlier granted her.

Justice Akinyemi adjourned the case till March 4 for determination of the bail application an ordered the remand of the defendant in the Nigerian Correctional Centre, Ibara, Abeokuta.