Alleged fraud: Suspects to remain in EFCC custody until September 8

The High Court of Lagos State, Ikeja, presided over by Justice Olukayode Ogunjobi, has directed that two men, Ali Bala and Yusuf Umar Anka, remain in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) until 8 September 2026, when their bail application will be entertained.

It would be recalled that the anti-graft agency had arraigned the duo over an alleged £110,000 and N500 million fraud.

The defendants were specifically arraigned on a 10-count charge bordering on conspiracy, money laundering, stealing and retention of stolen property.

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According to the anti-graft agency, Ali Bala and Yusuf Umar Anka allegedly conspired to disguise the source of stolen funds.

One of the counts reads: “That you, Ali Bala (a.k.a. Barrister Ahmed) and Yusuf Umar Anka, sometime in 2025 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, conducted financial transactions involving proceeds of your unlawful activities to disguise the source of the stolen £110,000.00 (One Hundred and Ten Thousand Pounds Sterling), and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 7(1)(b)(i) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.”

But the duo had pleaded not guilty to all charges brought against them. Following their plea, the counsel for the prosecution, H.U. Kofarnaisa, asked the court for a trial date and urged the court to remand the defendants in a correctional facility.

However, the counsel for the defendants informed the judge of a pending bail application and asked the court to hear the application.

In his ruling, Justice Ogunjobi set 8 September 2026 as the date to entertain the defendants’ bail application, ordering that the duo be remanded in the custody of the anti-graft agency.