Justice Ekerete Akpan of the Federal High Court Abuja, on Monday, April 17, 2026, set June 22, July 1 and 2, 2026 for a definite hearing in the trial of the Chief Executive Officer of Onome Global Market Resources Limited and Lexicon Multi-concept Media Limited, Osabohein Alex Ologbose, and his wife Hope Onome Oghelemu for alleged investment fraud.
The duo are being prosecuted alongside two companies, on a seven-count charge, bordering on obtaining money by false pretence, conversion of funds and money laundering to the tune of N740 million, contrary to Section 18(2)(b) of the Money Laundering Prevention and Prohibition Act 2022 and punishment under Section 18(4) of the same Act. They were arraigned on February 16, 2026.
At the Monday proceeding, prosecution counsel, O.S Ujam, informed the court that the prosecution team was ready to proceed with the trials and to present three witnesses in court. On his part, the defence counsel, T.O. Ochayi, informed the court that he was unprepared for the commencement of the trial, having been briefed on the matter just a day before and having taken over as counsel only today. “We are not ready, my lord. I am sorry, my lord. I just came into this matter today; I was not the counsel before now. I am not ready for trial. I was briefed yesterday. I would like this matter to proceed only if I have the motion for bail.”
The prosecution counsel, in his reaction, informed the court that the prosecution team was getting to hear such a response from the defence for the first time, frowning at the fact that the prosecution was not given any prior notice of the change in counsel. He further informed the court that the three prosecution witnesses present in court were elderly and had been in court since morning.
“We are just hearing this this morning. No notice was given to us. I am not opposed to the adjournment; however, we urge the court to slate the matter for a definite hearing. We have three witnesses who came from afar and are elderly. They have been in court since morning,” he said.
Justice Akpan, thereafter, adjourned the matter till June 22, July 1 and 2, 2026 for a definite hearing.
Investigation by the EFCC revealed that the first and second defendants induced unsuspecting members of the public into paying money into Oghelemu’s account or that of Onome Global Market Resources Limited on the false pretence that it was for procurement and exportation of “bitter kola nuts” and “red kola nuts” to Hong Kong, China and Indonesia after which they would be paid a huge Return on Investment, RoI.
It turned out that the investors neither got RoI nor their investment sums back.
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