The Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned businessman Alexander Adeniran Babarinde, hailing from Oro-Ago in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, over alleged involvement in a contract scam, obtaining money under false pretences, and forgery.
Babarinde, alongside his company, Ajays Engineering Limited, and one Suleiman Muhammed (currently at large), faced an eight-count charge before Justice Mahmud Abdulgafar of the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin.
The charges brought against the defendants revolve around allegations of obtaining money under false pretences, specifically by deceiving the complainant into believing that they were funding and executing various Federal Government contracts. These contracts, purportedly awarded by government agencies such as the Ecological Fund Management Committee Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Ministry of Agriculture and Development, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, Katsina Universal Basic Education Commission, and National Research Institute for Chemical Technology, were later discovered to be non-existent. Investigations by the EFCC revealed that the contract award letters presented by Babarinde were forged and did not originate from the stated government agencies.
The defendants allegedly obtained a total of N170 million from the complainant as capital to execute these fictitious contracts, with attempts to recover the funds proving futile.
Count three of the charges against Babarinde reads: “That you, Alexander Adeniran Babarinde, Ajays Engineering Limited, and Suleiman Mohammed (still at large), sometime between January 2021 and December 2021, in Ilorin, Kwara State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, did obtain the sum of N30,530,300.00 (Thirty Million, Five Hundred and Thirty Thousand, Three Hundred Naira) from one Ezekiel Ola Babatunde as fees for the funding and execution of Federal Government contracts, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.”
Similarly, count four of the charges states: “That you, Alexander Adeniran Babarinde, Ajays Engineering Limited, and Suleiman Mohammed (still at large), sometime between January 2022 and December 2022, in Ilorin, Kwara State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, did obtain the sum of N6,655,009.00 (Six Million, Six Hundred and Fifty-Five Thousand Naira) from one Ezekiel Ola Babatunde as fees for the funding and execution of Federal Government contracts, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.”
Upon the reading of the charges, Babarinde pleaded not guilty to all counts. Consequently, EFCC counsel Rasheedat Alao urged the court to remand Babarinde in the custody of the Nigeria Correctional Service pending trial. Justice Abdulgafar acceded to the request and adjourned the case till March 13, 2024, for trial.
This high-profile case underscores the EFCC’s unwavering commitment to tackling financial crimes and holding perpetrators accountable. As the trial unfolds, it is expected to shed further light on the alleged fraudulent activities and ensure that justice is served.
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