Alleged N500m Fraud: Court Refuses Agripreneur, Amina Orimoloye’s Bail Application

Justice Musa Kakaki of the Federal High Court, Lagos, has refused a bail application filed by a UK-based Nigerian Agripreneur, Aminah Momoh-Orimoloye, who is currently in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged involvement in a N500 million fraud.

Momoh-Orimoloye, who is the Coordinator of the Economic Empowerment of Women and Youth in Livestock Agriculture (EEWYLA) and founder of Oriyon International Limited, had approached the court in suit number FHC/L/1741/2025, seeking an order to compel the EFCC to release her.

Through her counsel, Mrs. Abimbola Akeredolu (SAN), she prayed the court to either admit her to bail pending the conclusion of investigations or direct the EFCC to charge her to court without further delay. She argued that her continued detention since August 5, 2025, without arraignment, violated her fundamental rights.

In a 13-paragraph affidavit, her lawyers claimed she was being subjected to “deplorable conditions, mental harassment, intimidation, and denial of adequate medical care.” They also faulted the bail conditions earlier set by the EFCC, which required her to produce two sureties who must be directors in the civil service and owners of landed property in Lagos State. According to her, the EFCC unfairly rejected Deputy Registrars of higher institutions whom she presented as sureties.

The EFCC, however, opposed her application. In a counter-affidavit filed by one of its investigators, John Justice, and argued by counsel Suleiman I. Suleiman, the agency told the court that the applicant was implicated in a foreign exchange scam of over N1.6 billion, in which N500 million belonging to a complainant was allegedly diverted by Momoh-Orimoloye and her associates.

The EFCC maintained that:

• The businesswoman is a flight risk since she resides abroad.
• She had presented unreliable sureties, some of whom were caught giving false information during verification.
• Contrary to her claims, she has been kept under humane conditions, allowed medical checks, and even permitted to exchange her foreign currency and receive food from visitors.

Delivering his ruling, Justice Kakaki held that the EFCC was not in breach of her rights since it had already granted her administrative bail, which she failed to perfect.

“Failure of the applicant to present reliable sureties should not be visited on the EFCC. Having been granted bail, the proper thing for her is to fulfill the terms,” the judge ruled.

The court consequently dismissed her motion, affirming that “the present application, as constituted, is hereby refused.”