Five persons have been dragged to an Ilorin magistrate’s court for defrauding a former deputy governor in Kwara State, Chief Joel Ogundeji, to a sum of N17 million.

Four of the accused persons: Henry Amadi, Ibiyomi Adeniyi Michael, Innocent Chinwo and Samuel, are said to be on the run. They are the second, third, fourth and fifth accused persons in the case.

The first accused person, Onome Jude Udoma, 27, is a footballer and resides in Ilorin, Kwara State.

Udoma was dragged to court on a three-count charge of criminal conspiracy, criminal breach of trust which contravened Section 97, 315 of the Penal Code Law and Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 1 (i) A, B,C (3) Act Part 1 Number 13 of 2006.

The immediate past deputy governor of the state unearthed the scam when he petitioned the state police commissioner alleging that in 2010, the first accused and the other conspired and approached him claiming to be professional footballers and agents.

He said that the accused then requested for financial assistance to travel to two of the European countries to enable then ply their trade there.

According to the police First Information Report (FIR), the first accused had approached Ogundeji requesting him to finance his foreign trips and trainings to clubs in Sweden and Turkey to the tune of N17 million, promising to pay back the money.

Police report alleged further that the petitioner paid the sum of N17 million to various accounts of the accused persons and later hoodwinked them for a group photograph.

FIR added that “you, Onome Jude Udoma, did not make any foreign trip but rather spent part of the money to purchase a Toyota Camry yet to be recovered from where it is parked in Yenogoa, Bayelsa State.”

Counsel to the first accused, Toyin Onaolapo, urged the court to grant his client bail on the presumption of innocence until proven otherwise as enshrined in Section 36(5) of the 1999 Constitution.

Mr. Onaolapo assured the court that his client would always be available for the continuation of the trial.

But the police prosecutor, Isaac Yakubu, a sergeant, opposed counsel’s application for bail, arguing that the accused might jump bail given the gravity of the offence.

In his ruling, the Magistrate Muhammed Ibrahim, denied the accused bail, contending that the second and third legs of the offence were not bailable.

He asked that the accused be remanded in Mandala Medium Security Prison and adjourned the case to May 21.