Following Judge Mojisola Dada of the Special Offenses Court in Ikeja, Lagos state, setting January 10, 2024 as the start date of the couple's trial, the EFCC announced this in a statement.
On Tuesday, November 28, 2023, the Lagos Zonal Command of the EFCC arraigned the Idowus on 20 counts of charges.
According to information provided by the commission, these allegations included forgery and money laundering of N2,757,188,000.00 (two billion, seven hundred and fifty-seven million, one hundred and eighty-eight naira only), theft, keeping stolen goods, and collecting money under false pretenses.
Ruth Idowu's companies, Food Commodity Processing Enterprise, Bonway Food Processing Company Limited, Samee Idowu Company Limited, and Farmex Integrated Companies Limited, were all arraigned alongside the two, according to the EFCC.
"Sometime in 2023 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable court, Ruth Sameeha Idowu, aka Loiry Ventures, Oriyomi Kabeer Idowu, aka Yocli Ventures, Food Commodity Processing Enterprise, Bonway Food Processing Company Ltd, Samee Idowu Company Limited, Farmex Integrated Companies Limited, converted the sum of N10,000,000 to purchase a GLK Benz, purchase sum derived from converting the sum of N500,000,000 belonging to Creditpro Business Support Services with the aim of disguising the illegal origin of the funds," another count stated.
"Sometime in 2023 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable court, Ruth Sameeha Idowu, aka Loiry Ventures, Oriyomi Kabeer Idowu, aka Yocli Ventures, Food Commodity Processing Enterprise, Bonway Food Processing Company Ltd., Samee Idowu Company Limited, Farmex Integrated Companies Limited, dishonestly retained the sum of N936,619,876 (Nine Hundred and Thirty-Six Million, Six Hundred and Nineteen Thousand, Eight Hundred and Seventy-Six Naira only) in your UBA bank account, property of Creditpro Business Support Services, knowing same to be funds fraudulently obtained from Creditpro Business Support Services,” said another count.
When the accusations were read to the defendants, they entered a plea of "not guilty," which caused the court to postpone considering their bail requests until Friday, December 15, 2023.
According to the EFCC, during Friday's hearings, Ruth's attorney, James Alara, told the court that he was withdrawing his client's previous bail request and filing a fresh one in its stead. Ruth is the first defendant.
Alara informed the court, "I am doing this because I need to include the medical reports on the first defendant's health status."
Bilikisu Buhari, the EFCC's attorney, countered that the prosecution had already reacted to the application's withdrawal and that it had only learned of the new application on December 11, 2023.
"We answered the one they're pulling back on. On December 11, 2023, though, they presented the new one to us. Buhari stated, "We plan to reply to the initial defendant's fresh bail request.
She went on to say that the medical reports that were attached to the new bail application needed to be verified by the prosecution.
In his reply, Alara asked the court for a brief adjournment so that his client's new bail application could be heard.
He stated, "This is because of the first defendant's health."
The second defendant, Oriyomi, is represented by Babatunde Ogala (SAN), who made the bail application on his behalf.
Ogala urged the court, "We implore the court to discountenance the prosecution's counter-affidavit and grant bail to the defendant on liberal terms."
"The defendant, as you are all know, has never been charged before and has no criminal history. He won't meddle in the legal matter.
He went on to say that his client "never jumped bail granted him by the EFCC, while he has shown that he is not a flight risk," and that the agency had granted him administrative bail while the case was being investigated.
In response, Buhari submitted the prosecution's 15-paragraph counter-affidavit, stating that the court would determine whether to grant bail.
Buhari declared, "We pray for terms that will ensure appearance in court, if the court is so inclined."
In his decision about the second defendant's bail request, Judge Dada approved N250 million in bail, plus an additional N250 million for two sureties.
Dada further ordered the two sureties to consent to having a lien placed on their bank accounts and to demonstrate that they were employed in a gainful capacity.
Additionally, the defendant was mandated to give the Chief Registrar of the court his international passport.
Judge Dada then postponed the trial to January 10 and February 2, 2024, "for the bail hearing of the first defendant," until December 20, 2023.