$8.4Million Scam : Afe Babalola Denies Being Counsel To Bamaiyi

The trial of a Lagos Court Registrar, Mrs Rosulu Idowu Oluronke, accused of defrauding a former Chief of Army Staff, General Ishaya Bamaiyi of $300,000 continued today before a  Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja with legal luminary, Chief Afe Babalola, SAN, telling the court that he never offered any legal representation to  Bamaiyi and could not have received payment to that effect by either Fred Ajudua or Oluronke.

A prosecution witness from Afe Babalola’s Chamber, Adebayo Olanipekun (SAN) told the court presided over by Justice Lawal Akapo, that the law firm never took a brief from General Bamaiyi and did not receive any money from Ajudua.   “Fred Ajudua did not brief our firm to represent him at any time and  we did not receive any money from Fred Ajudua in respect of General Ishaya Bamaiyi. We did not represent Gen. Bamaiyi and we did not receive any money from Fred Ajudua,” he said.

General Bamayi had in his testimony before the court, identified Oluronke as the woman who collected $330,000 for onward delivery to his supposed counsel, Afe Babalola (SAN).   Justice Lawal Akapo adjourned the matter till May 13, 2015 for continuation of trial.   It would be recalled that Ajudua and the defendant, were initially arranged by EFCC before Justice Ipaye, but the second defendant who is a public servant requested for separation of the charges and expeditious trial.

Oluronke, a former registrar to Justice Olubunmi Oyewole, is facing a two-count charge of conspiracy to obtain money by false pretences and obtaining money by false pretence.   The EFCC alleged that she helped Ajudua to funnel the money from Bamaiyi between   November 2004 and June 2005 while both of them were being remanded at Kirikiri Prison for separate offences.   EFCC, said Ajudua obtained the money from Bamaiyi by claiming that it represented the professional fees charged by Chief Afe Babalola (SAN) to handle his case.

Wilson Uwujaren

Head, Media & Publicity

12th May, 2015