Federal high court in Ikoyi, Lagos, has adjourned the internet fraud trial of Nigerian singer, Azeez Fashola also known as Naira Marley, to March 2024.
Gatekeepers News reports that the singer is currently facing trial on 11-count charges related to conspiracy and credit card fraud.
The charges were initiated by the EFCC in 2019 and Naira Marley, who pleaded not guilty, was granted bail of N2 million with two sureties in like sum.
During the resumed hearing on Thursday, Dein Whyte, an EFCC investigator, revealed that Visa, a card payment platform, flagged one of the credit card details on Marley’s device, due to fraudulent transactions.
The witness said the tools for validating credit card details and identifying the issuer’s region were found on the defendant’s device.
He said the analysis also exposed the defendant’s browsing history, indicating access to websites involved in illegally trading credit card information.
Whyte added that the card details found in the defendant’s device neither belonged to him nor were issued to him by any financial institution.
In Naira Marley’s defense, Olalekan Ojo stated that Visa did not directly link the fraud to Naira Marley’s device as Visa is a payment platform and not a telecommunications company.
The Judge, Nicholas Oweibo, adjourned the case to March 6 and 7, 2024, for a continuation of the trial.
Marley recently came out of police custody following allegations of his involvement in the death of Mohbad, a former signee of his music label.
He was released on bail in November after spending over five weeks in detention.
