Alleged N21.2m Fraud: Court grants Felix Duke N10m bail - Premium Times Nigeria

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday arraigned musician Felix “Felix Duke” Osagie before the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja over an alleged N21.2 million fraud.

In a statement posted on its social media platforms, the commission said Justice Ismail Ijelu presided over the arraignment.

It said the musician faces four counts of stealing, obtaining money by false pretence, retaining proceeds of crime, and giving false information.

The EFCC stated that the offences occurred between 2020 and April 2026.

According to the anti-graft agency, count one of the charges reads: “That you, Felix Duke Osagie, sometime in 2020, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with a dishonest intent, stole and converted for your own use the sum of N21,250,000, property of one Mr Joseph Onuh Oguche, thereby committing an offence of stealing contrary to Section 280 and punishable under Section 287 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos 2015.

Another count reads: “That you, Felix Duke Osagie, on the 2nd April, 2026, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intention to mislead, made a false statement to officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in the course of investigation, of the existence a land you had authority to sell, which is situate at Ise in Ibeju- Lekki, Lagos, which to your knowledge is false, thereby committing an offence to wit, false information contrary to and punishable by Section 39 of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission Establishment Act, No.1 of 2004.”

The musician denied the charges when the court read them to him and pleaded not guilty.

After the plea, the prosecution counsel, Abdulhamid Lamido Tukur, asked the court to fix a date for trial and order the defendant’s remand in a correctional facility.

However, the defence lawyer, Sunday Afolabi, drew the court’s attention to a bail application dated 4 November and filed the following day.

He explained that the application rested on an 18-paragraph affidavit sworn by the defendant’s wife.

Mr Afolabi consequently appealed to the court to grant his client bail on liberal conditions or on self-recognisance.

In response, Mr Tukur told the court that his team had filed a counter-affidavit dated 10 November in response.

Referring to paragraph six, he said the defendant had jumped bail since July 2026 and urged the court to take note of the claim.

He further disclosed that the prosecution would call four witnesses to testify during the trial.

Mr Tukur said: “We filed a 14-paragraph counter-affidavit, urging the court to reject the bail application. The defendant has jumped EFCC’s administrative bail since July. Also, the defendant has been carrying on with his fundamental rights enforcement suit in another court through his legal counsel.”

After hearing arguments from both the prosecution and defence, Justice Ijelu granted Duke bail of N10 million, with two sureties who must each provide the same amount.

The judge stipulated that one of the sureties must be a blood relative of the defendant.

He also directed both sureties to reside in Lagos, provide evidence of tax payments to the Lagos State Government over the past three years and demonstrate verifiable sources of income.

Justice Ijelu further ordered Duke to surrender his international passport to the court registrar and prohibited him from travelling outside Nigeria until the court concludes the case.

The judge adjourned the case until 16 December for the commencement of trial.

He also ordered that the defendant remain in a correctional facility until he fulfils his bail conditions.

Duke was known for classic songs like “Mr Goody Goody”, “Walare”, “Baba”, “Joanna”, “Cynthia”, “General”, among others.