EFCC Arraigns ‘Native Doctor’ and Wife Over ₦1.1bn Widow Scam

​ADO-EKITI, NIGERIA – The Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has officially arraigned a self-styled native doctor, Olorunbukunmi Taiwo, alongside his wife, Awolegan Omolola Omotola, before a Federal High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti. The couple stands accused of orchestrating a massive contract scam that swindled a Delta State widow out of ₦1,098,961,500.

​Appearing before Justice Abubakar Usman, the defendants faced a six-count charge bordering on obtaining money under false pretences and the retention of crime proceeds, clear violations of Section 17(a) of the EFCC (Establishment) Act, 2004.

​The Anatomy of the Scam

​The legal trouble for the couple began when Anazia Colina Kenechukwu, a grieving widow who runs a private school in Delta State, submitted a petition to the anti-graft agency.

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​According to the petition, Taiwo allegedly approached Kenechukwu under the guise of an affluent contractor. He convinced her to financially back a major road construction project. Taiwo claimed this lucrative contract had been formally awarded to him by the Delta State Oil Producing Area Development Commission (DESOPADEC).

​Believing the project was legitimate, the unsuspecting widow transferred an aggregate sum of ₦1.98 billion into Taiwo’s corporate and personal bank accounts, notably account number 0027303340 domiciled with Access Bank Plc.

​Laundering via Luxury Real Estate

​EFCC forensic investigators tracking the money trail revealed that instead of executing any civil engineering work, the couple allegedly diverted the cash to fund an extravagant lifestyle.

​The prosecution alleges that the duo rapidly laundered the proceeds by acquiring prime real estate assets across Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State. The traced properties include:

• ​Town Tavern Lounge: A commercial hospitality hub situated at No. 1, Ikere Road, adjacent to the Florence Court School, Ado-Ekiti.
• ​A Luxury Bungalow: A four-bedroom residential property tucked away at Florence Court, Irewolede Estate, Ado-Ekiti.

​Acting on these findings, the EFCC obtained a court order on Monday, May 25, 2026, for the interim forfeiture and attachment of both multi-million naira properties.

​Court Proceedings and Remand Order

​Count two of the formal charge sheet details how the fraudulent operation actively subsisted between January 2024 and November 2025, operating primarily from Ilorin before spilling into Ekiti and Delta states. The charges invoke Section 1(1)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, which carries stiff prison sentences upon conviction.

​When the charges were read out in the courtroom, both Taiwo and his wife pleaded “not guilty.”

​Following the pleas, EFCC prosecuting counsel Sesan Ola requested the court to schedule an immediate trial date and urged that the suspects remain in custody given the flight risk and severity of the cumulative multi-billion naira theft.

​Justice Abubakar Usman subsequently adjourned the matter until Thursday, June 11, 2026, to hear the formal bail applications and initiate the trial. The judge ordered that the “native doctor” and his wife be remanded in the EFCC holding facility pending the next hearing.