The Lagos Zonal Directorate 2 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Wednesday, July 8, 2025, arraigned Adepoju Emmanuel Abiodun, promoter of Bigibet, before Justice O.A.Okunuga of the State High Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos.
Abiodun and his company, Nobelsteed Nigeria Limited, are
being prosecuted on a 10-count charge related to stealing and obtaining under false pretences to the tune of N855 million.
In 2021, Abiodun allegedly approached the petitioner to introduce Noblesteed, which he claimed was primarily into gaming business (lottery business).
He told the petitioner that he was raising capital for
the proposed lottery business and also urged him to invest in Noblesteed’s
equity capital.
It was also alleged that the defendant convinced the
petitioner that he had been in the industry for a long time.
In view of this, the petitioner allegedly keyed into it
and also got some other people to invest in the Noblesteed.
It was further alleged that a total sum of N855 million
was paid into Abiodun’s nominated bank account as deposit for shares in the
purported capital-raising exercise.
The defendant, however, allegedly reneged on his promise
and failed to refund the investors.
One of the counts reads: ”That you, Mr. Adepoju Emmanuel
Abiodun, Noblesteed Nigeria Limited, sometime between June, 2021 and September,
2021 in Lagos, within the Ikeja Judicial Division of this Honourable Court,
deceitfully obtained the total sum of N855,000,000.00 (Eight Hundred and Fifty
Five Million Naira) only, from several unsuspecting persons, through your GT
Bank Account No. 0591549473, by falsely representing to them that the said
amount was an investment for the purchase of Equity Share Capital of Noblesteed
Nigeria Limited, which representation you knew to be false, thereby committed
an offence Obtaining money by false pretence contrary to sections 1(1) (a) and
1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act No: 14 of 2006.”
The defendants pleaded “not guilty” to the charge.
In view of this, the prosecution counsel, A.M. Dambuwa,
asked the court for a trial date and also prayed the court to remand the
defendant in a correctional centre pending the trial.
The defence counsel, Adeyinka Abdulsalam, informed the
court of a bail application, which he said had been served on the prosecution
counsel.
Justice Okunuga ordered the defendant to be remanded at
the Ikoyi Correctional Centre.
The Judge adjourned till July 9, 2025 for the hearing of
the bail application and September 17, 2025 for the commencement of trial.
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