Fuji musician in Lagos court over alleged N21m fraud

Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Thursday arraigned a Fuji musician, Felix Osagie, before the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja over an alleged N21.25 million fraud.

 Osagie was arraigned before Justice Ismail Ijelu on a four-count charge bordering on stealing and obtaining money by false pretence.

 When the case was called, the EFCC prosecution counsel, Lamido Ochuko, informed the court that the charge was dated April 20, 2026, and urged the court to have it read to the defendant for his plea.

 The EFCC alleged that the defendant fraudulently converted the sum of N21,250,000 belonging to one Joseph Oguche sometime in 2020.

 However, the defendant pleaded not guilty to all the counts preferred against him.

 Following his plea, prosecutor Ochuko urged the court to fix a date for trial and remand the defendant in a correctional facility.

 However, defence counsel, Sunday Afolabi, informed the court that he had filed a bail application dated November 4, 2026, and filed on November 5, 2026.

 The application was supported by an 18-paragraph affidavit deposed to by the defendant’s wife.

 Moving the application, Afolabi told the court that Osagie was diabetic and could no longer walk due to his deteriorating health condition.

 He further submitted that the defendant’s health had worsened while in EFCC custody and that he had been in and out of hospital since his release from the commission’s custody.

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 In opposition, prosecution counsel, Ochuko, informed the court that the prosecution had filed a counter-affidavit dated November 10, 2026.

 He urged the court to consider paragraph six of the counter-affidavit, which alleged that the defendant had been jumping bail since July 2026.

 The prosecution also informed the court of its intention to call four witnesses during the trial.

 In a ruling, Justice Ijelu admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N10m with two sureties in like sum.

 The judge directed that the sureties must be blood relatives of the defendant and must have paid taxes to the Lagos State Government within the last three years.

 They were also required to provide evidence of a verifiable source of income.

 The court further ordered the defendant to deposit his international passport with the registrar and barred him from travelling outside Nigeria.

 The defendant was remanded in a correctional facility pending the fulfilment of his bail conditions.

 Justice Ijelu adjourned the case until December 16, 2026, for trial.