Couple arraigned over alleged N1bn contract fraud
A self-styled native doctor, Olorunbukunmi Taiwo, and his wife, Awolegan Omolola Omotola, have been arraigned over an alleged N1.09 billion contract fraud said to have been perpetrated against a widow and school proprietor. The case is being prosecuted by the Ilọrin Zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The couple appeared before […]
A self-styled native doctor, Olorunbukunmi Taiwo, and his wife, Awolegan Omolola Omotola, have been arraigned over an alleged N1.09 billion contract fraud said to have been perpetrated against a widow and school proprietor.
The case is being prosecuted by the Ilọrin Zonal office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The couple appeared before Justice Abubakar Usman of the Federal High Court in Ado-Ekiti on a six-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence and retention of proceeds of crime.
According to the EFCC, the case stemmed from a petition filed by Anazia Colina Kenechukwu, a Delta State-based private school owner, who alleged that Taiwo convinced her to finance a road construction contract he claimed had been awarded to him by the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC).
- Farmers Urged to Vaccinate Livestock as PPR Outbreak Hits Ondo
- PHOTOS: Oyo govt demolishes building where Adelabu’s sister, sons were held captive
The anti-graft agency told the court that the representation allegedly induced the complainant to part with huge sums of money over a period spanning January 2024 and November 2025.
In one of the charges, the EFCC alleged that the defendants fraudulently obtained N1,098,961,500 from Kenechukwu through Taiwo’s bank account under the guise of executing the purported road project, a claim the Commission said was false.
EFCC said investigators further traced transactions linked to the case and discovered that a total of N1.98 billion was allegedly paid into an account operated by Taiwo.
The Commission also alleged that part of the proceeds was channelled into the acquisition of landed assets in Ado-Ekiti, including a hospitality facility known as Town Tavern Lounge on Ikere Road and a four-bedroom bungalow located within Irewolede Estate.
The properties had earlier been placed under interim attachment following an order secured by the EFCC on May 25, 2026.
When the charges were read in court, Taiwo and Omotola pleaded not guilty to all counts.
Following the plea, EFCC counsel, Sesan Ola, urged the court to fix a date for trial and remand the defendants pending further proceedings.
Justice Usman subsequently adjourned the matter until June 11, 2026, for the hearing of the defendants’ bail application and the commencement of trial.
The judge also ordered that the couple be remanded in the custody of the EFCC pending the determination of their bail request.