By Bamidele Kolawole

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Two staff members of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC),  Adeyinka Oyebode and Samuel Ogunba, have been arraigned before a Federal High Court sitting in Akure, for allegedly defrauding the company of the sum of N38 million.

The defendants whose addresses were not given, are facing four counts bordering on conspiracy, obtaining, fraud, conversion, and stealing preferred against them by the police.

When the charges were read to the defendants, they told the court that they were not guilty of the charges.

The charge sheet reads inter alia: “That you, Oyebode Adeyinka and Ogunba Samuel, between January and February, 2004, in Ore, Ondo State, while being employed by the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) at the Ore Service Unit within the jurisdiction of the honorable court, with intent to defraud, forged BEDC electric bills and distributed same to customers, thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Sections 1(2)(c) 35 Cap 17 of the Laws of the Federation of Nigeria Act 2004.

“That you, Oyebode Adeyinka and Samuel Ogunba, between January and February 2004, in Ore, Ondo State, while being employed by the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) at the Ore service unit within the jurisdiction of this honorable court, by which you forged to obtain money from your employer, BEDC, and its customers in the sum of N38,490,175.81, thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 1(1) and Section 1(3) of the Law of the Federation of Nigeria Act 2004.”

Prosecuting counsel, M.O. Adetuwo, told the court that the defendants committed the alleged offences with others at large.

Adetuwo said the defendants fraudulently obtained N38.4 million from BEDC customers in the state and converted to their use.

The defendants’ lawyer, O.J. Ifadasi, urged the court to grant his clients bail on the most liberal terms, promising that they would not jump bail.

In his ruling, Justice Alexander Owoeye granted the defendants bail in the sum of N1 million each with one surety each in like sum.

He ordered that the defendants be remanded in Olokuta prison custody pending the perfection of their bail.

The judge adjourned the case to September 19, 2024, for trial.