The Department of State Services, DSS, arraigned six people in an Ekiti State Magistrate Court in Ado Ekiti District on Wednesday for alleged possession of fraudulent documents, forgery, use of forged documents, counterfeit seals, and impersonation.

Olarewaju Adesoye, Mayowa Ajisafe, Matthew Olanrewaju, Olorunfemi Osho, Joseph Balogun, and Ajayi Temidayo are the six defendants.

The DSS Legal Officer and prosecutor, Olaolu Olayinka, informed the court that the defendants conspired to commit the offense of acquiring money by pretense between October and November in Ado Ekiti.

The prosecutor added that “the defendants, at the same time and place, did obtain the sum of N1.795m from Olumide Damilola, Ayeni Rachael Fummilayo, Fakunle Olasunkanmi Olatunbosun, Ogidi Kayode Emmanuel and others.”

Olayinka stated that the original case file had been transferred to the Ministry of Justice, which would take over the matter until the Director of Public Prosecutions of Ekiti State issued legal advice.

The defendants’ offense, according to the DSS legal officer, “is punishable under Sections 421, 329, 335, 357, 372, 391 of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State 2021.”

The six defendants all pleaded not guilty to the six-count charge.

Timi Omotoso, counsel for the defendants, urged the court to give them bail, saying they were men of character and would provide trustworthy sureties.

Mr. A. O. Adeosun, the magistrate, granted bail of N500,000 each and one surety for two defendants, noting that the three sureties must own land in Ado Ekiti.

The magistrate adjourned the case till January 26, 2024.