The management of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, has disowned a man facing trial for fraud, but claimed he was a professor at the institution.
The Public relations Officer of the university, Mr Abiodun Olanrewaju, said the 60-year-old Charles Jide-Oni had never been an employee of the institution.
“All the checks I have done revealed that we have never had anybody by that name,” Olanrewaju told phenomenal.com.ng in a phone interview.
He promised to release a full statement soon.
Jide-Oni was brought before a Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos State for allegedly obtaining money and engaging in fee fraud.
According to the EFCC, he was arrested alongside 12 other internet fraud suspects for running an illegal financial outfit.
The EFFCC said in a statement:
A sixty-year-old man, Charles Jide-Oni, who claimed to be a professor and lecturer at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Osun State, was arraigned before a Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos State for allegedly obtaining money under false pretence and engaging in advance fee fraud.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibadan zonal office, arraigned the ‘Professor’ and 12 other internet fraud suspects before Justice Nicholas Oweibo, the Federal High Court vacation judge for the Southwest zone, on Wednesday, September 4, 2019.
Jide-Oni’s arraignment was sequel to the EFCC’s damning findings about the activities of an illegal financial outfit he floated through which he allegedly swindled his victims of several millions of naira.
Due to the bail application filed and argued by his lawyer on his behalf, Justice Oweibo granted Jide-Oni bail to the tune of N10 million and two sureties in like sum. The sureties, the court held, must be of Grade Level 10 in the civil service and must be resident in Osogbo, the Osun State capital.
The judge also ordered that the accused person be remanded in Ilesha prison pending the time he is able to fulfill his bail conditions as he adjourned substantive hearing to October 14.
