A self-acclaimed native doctor, Olorunbukunmi Taiwo, and his wife, Awolegan Omolola Omotola, have been arraigned by the Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) before the Federal High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti over an alleged N1.09 billion contract fraud.
The couple was docked before Justice Abubakar Usman on a six-count charge bordering on obtaining money under false pretence and retention of proceeds of crime, offences said to be contrary to provisions of the EFCC Establishment Act and the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act.
According to the anti-graft agency, the case stemmed from a petition submitted by a widow and proprietor of a private school in Delta State, Mrs. Anazia Colina Kenechukwu, who alleged that Taiwo convinced her to finance a purported road construction contract allegedly awarded to him by the Delta State Oil Producing Area Development Commission (DESOPADEC).
Investigators told the court that based on the representation, the complainant transferred huge sums of money into Taiwo’s Access Bank account for the execution of the project. The EFCC alleged that instead of being used for the contract, the funds were diverted and laundered through various channels by the defendants.
The Commission further disclosed that its investigations uncovered transactions running into billions of naira, with a total of N1.98 billion allegedly paid by the complainant under the purported contract arrangement. The agency alleged that proceeds of the fraud were invested in high-value properties within Ado-Ekiti.
Among the assets allegedly traced to the defendants are Town Tavern Lounge located along Ikere Road in Ado-Ekiti and a four-bedroom bungalow situated within Florence Court, Irewolede Estate. The EFCC revealed that it had earlier secured an interim forfeiture order attaching the properties pending the conclusion of investigations and prosecution.
One of the charges accused the defendants of fraudulently obtaining N1,098,961,500 from the complainant between January 2024 and November 2025 by falsely claiming that the money would be used to execute a DESOPADEC road construction contract, a representation the prosecution said they knew to be false.
When the charges were read before the court, Taiwo and his wife pleaded not guilty to all counts.
Following their plea, EFCC counsel, Sesan Ola, urged the court to fix a date for trial and requested that the defendants be remanded pending the determination of the matter.
Justice Usman subsequently adjourned the case to June 11, 2026, for hearing of the defendants’ bail application and commencement of trial. The court also ordered that both defendants remain in EFCC custody pending further proceedings.
The case adds to the growing list of high-profile fraud prosecutions involving alleged contract scams and raises fresh concerns over the exploitation of vulnerable investors through false claims of government contract awards.