On Monday, November 26, 2018, EFCC arraigned Babatunde Osho, before Justice Nnamdi Dimg alt='SMEDA deputy director, Tunde Osho arraigned for N700m fraud (Photo)' class='img-responsive text-center' style='margin: auto;'ba of the Federal High Court, sitting in Maitama, Abuja, on a 41-count charge, bordering on forgery, fraudulent acquisition of properties and money laundering to the tune of N700 million.
Osho was arraigned alongside Mindset Agro Services Limited, Just Fair Investment Limited, and Tufik Associates, companies he is signatories to.
The defendant's journey to the dock, started when the Commission received an intelligence report that Osho, a Deputy Director, Account and Finance, in Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency, SMEDA, allegedly diverted the said money, meant for constituency projects and awarded same to his personal companies.
Further investigations into the matter revealed that no contracts were executed. Also, during interrogation, he was asked why the money was diverted into his account and Osho, who equally owns a Primary and Secondary School, Royal Field Academy in Ogun State, made available forged documents to mislead the Commission into believing that the contract was actually awarded to his companies.
One of the counts reads:
He pleaded not guilty to all the counts. In view of his plea, the prosecution counsel, E. E. Iheanacho, prayed the court for a trial date and for the defendant to be remanded in prison custody.
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