A man who impersonates Fashola has been dragged to court

One Malik Wakili, arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has been arraigned before Justice C.J. Aneke of a Federal High Court in Lagos, for allegedly impersonating the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola.

Wakili, who was arraigned in court by the commission, was also said to have defrauded the minister of the sum of N3,106, 216.

According to the anti-graft agency, the suspect committed the offence in March 2019.

“Wakili conspired with one Abdullahi Umar, who is at large, to fraudulently impersonate the former Lagos State governor with intent to gain a monetary advantage for themselves,” the commission stated.

The defendant as stated by the EFCC, “converted the total sum of N3,106,216, being the value of the minister’s Air-miles Skywards Account Number EK248739282 with the Emirate Airlines and which sum they reasonably ought to have known formed part the proceeds of their unlawful activity, to wit: fraud.”

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the three-count charge filed against him by the Commission.

The judge has adjourned the case till Tuesday, December 17, for ruling on the bail application filed by the defendant’s counsel, Eubena Anedu.