Olajide Kareem, aka Seun Egbegbe, a Nollywood film-maker and producer, has been granted his freedom after spending 68 months in jail.
Seun Egbegbe, an ex-lover of Nollywood actress Toyin Abraham, was detained on February 10, 2017, for defrauding no fewer than 40 Bureau de Change Operators in local and foreign currencies. For a total sum of N39,098,100, $90,000 and £12,550.
The filmmaker was accused of defrauding the BDC operators in Lagos between 2015 and 2017 by claiming to have naira to exchange for foreign currencies.
In February 2017, the ex-boss of Ebony Production was charged alongside one Oyekan Ayomide before Justice Oluremi Oguntoyinbo on 36 counts of advance fee fraud.
The prosecutor, Innocent Anyigor, said Egbegbe and the other defendant acted contrary to Section 8 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006 and were liable to be punished under Section 1(3) of the same Act.
His charge sheet was later amended twice, with the count eventually reaching 40.
He has been in prison custody since then due to his inability to meet the N5 million bail set by the court.
Egbegbe was released on October 11, 2022 after serving 68 months in prison.
Following a review of his case, Justice Oluremi Oguntoyinbo of the Federal High Court in Ikoyi found the filmmaker guilty of only one of the 44 counts brought against him.
The judge ruled that 43 of the 44 cases were dismissed due to a lack of witnesses to support their claims.
Toyin Abraham, on the other hand, publicly stated on Channels TV Rubbin Minds, that she regrets dating him.
She is now married to Kolawole Oluwasegun Ajeyemi, with whom she has a son, Ire!
Source: Nation Newspaper
