Alleged N21.25m Fraud: Court Grants Musician Felix Duke N10m Bail

Nigerian musician Felix Duke Osagie, popularly called Felix Duke, has been arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an alleged N21.25 million fraud.

The musician appeared before Justice Ismail O. Ijelu of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja on Thursday, following his arraignment by the commission’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 2.

He is facing four counts bordering on stealing, obtaining money by false pretence, retention of proceeds of crime and giving false information.

The EFCC made the development public through a post on its official X account on Thursday, November 12, 2026.

One of the charges accused Duke of dishonestly converting N21.25 million belonging to Mr Joseph Onuh Oguche to his personal use in 2020.

The charge 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 (Twenty-One Million, Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira), property of one Mr. Joseph Onuh Oguche, thereby committing an offence of stealing contrary to Section 280 and punishable under Section 287 of Criminal Laws of Lagos 2015.”

In another count, the EFCC alleged that Duke made a false statement to its investigators on April 2, 2026, regarding a parcel of land situated at Ise, Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos.

According to the charge, the musician allegedly claimed he had the authority to sell the property, an allegation said to be contrary to Section 39 of the EFCC (Establishment) Act, 2004.

Duke denied all the allegations, pleading not guilty when the charges were read to him.

After the plea, the prosecution counsel, Abdulhamid Lamido Tukur, requested a trial date and asked the court to remand the defendant in a correctional centre.

But the defence lawyer, Sunday Afolabi, told the court that his client’s bail application, dated November 4 and filed on November 5, 2026, was pending.

He explained that the application was backed by an 18-paragraph affidavit sworn to by Duke’s wife, asking the court to release the musician on liberal bail conditions or grant him bail on self-recognisance.

Opposing the application, Tukur informed the court that the prosecution had submitted a 14-paragraph counter-affidavit dated November 10, 2026.

He specifically drew the court’s attention to paragraph six, which alleged that the defendant had jumped the administrative bail earlier granted to him by the EFCC in July 2026.

The prosecution also accused Duke of continuing with a fundamental rights enforcement case in another court through his legal representative.

Tukur said: “We filed a 14-paragraph counter-affidavit, urging the court to reject the bail application.

“The defendant had 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.”

The prosecution also disclosed its intention to present four witnesses during the trial.

Delivering his ruling, Justice Ijelu granted the musician bail in the sum of N10 million and directed him to provide two sureties in like sum.

The judge ordered that one of the sureties must be related to Duke by blood, while both must be residents of Lagos State.

They are also required to show evidence of tax payments to the state government within the preceding three years and provide verifiable proof of their sources of income.

As part of the bail conditions, the court directed Duke to deposit his international passport with the registrar and barred him from travelling outside the country until the case is concluded.

Justice Ijelu subsequently adjourned the matter until December 16, 2026, for the commencement of trial.

The court further ordered that the musician remain in a correctional facility until all the bail conditions have been fulfilled.