Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court in Ikeja, Lagos, has set the date for judgment in the alleged N1.7 billion fraud case involving Kayode Odukoya, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of First Nation Airways Limited.
News About Nigeria gathered that the verdict is scheduled to be delivered on December 1, 2023.
Odukoya is currently facing trial alongside First Nation Airways Limited and Belleview Airlines Limited on seven counts of charges related to forgery, use of false documents, perjury, stealing, and obtaining credit by fraud.
These charges violate specific sections of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2011.
One of the counts states: “Kayode Odukoya and First Nation Airways, on or about the 29th day of August 2013 in Lagos, within the Ikeja Judicial Division, through fraud, obtained the credit of N307,268,406.43 for yourselves from Skye Bank Plc (Now Polaris Bank Ltd) and made the bank incur liability by presenting a Memorandum of Loss at Lagos State Certificate of Occupancy registered as No.33 at page 33 in Volume 1011 at the Lagos State Registry, Alausa, Ikeja, in respect of property being and situate at No. 29 Oduduwa Street, Ikeja GRA, Lagos State.”
Another count reads: “Kayode Odukoya, First Nation Airways Limited, and Bellview Airlines Limited, on or about the 7th day of October 2016 in Lagos, within the Lagos Judicial Division, dishonestly converted to your own use the sum of N1,742,994,962.04 (One Billion, Seven Hundred and Forty-one Million, Nine Hundred and Ninety-four Thousand, Nine Hundred and Sixty-two Naira, Four Kobo) property of Skye Bank Plc.”
Odukoya pleaded not guilty to these charges, leading to the commencement of his trial.
The prosecution had presented five witnesses and various documents to substantiate its case against the defendants, wrapping up its case on November 30, 2020.
Nonetheless, the defendant, through his counsel E.D. Onyeke, submitted a no-case application.
On January 11, 2022, the Judge dismissed the no-case submission, ordering the defendant to present his defence.
Subsequently, the defendant testified in his defence, refuting the allegations.
Following the conclusion of the defendant’s defence, Justice Dada scheduled an adjournment for the adoption of final written addresses.
During the recent proceedings, both the prosecution and the defence adopted their final written addresses.
The prosecution, represented by Nnaemeka Omewa, urged the court to affirm the prosecution’s case against the defendant. Onyeke, the defence counsel, implored the court to acquit his client.
Justice Dada, having considered both parties’ arguments, adjourned the case until December 1, 2023, for the pronouncement of the judgment.
