Musician Felix Duke Granted N10m Bail Over Alleged N21.2m Fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday brought musician Felix “Felix Duke” Osagie to the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja. He is facing charges over an alleged N21.2 million fraud.

In a statement on its social media, the EFCC said Justice Ismail Ijelu was in charge of the arraignment.

The commission said the musician is facing four charges. These include stealing, obtaining money by false pretence, keeping proceeds of crime, and giving false information.

The EFCC stated that the alleged offences happened between 2020 and April 2026.

According to the anti-graft agency, the first charge says: “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, property of one Mr Joseph Onuh Oguche, thereby committing an offence of stealing contrary to Section 280 and punishable under Section 287 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos 2015.”

Another charge states: “That you, Felix Duke Osagie, on the 2nd April, 2026, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intention to mislead, made a false statement to officers of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in the course of investigation, of the existence of a land you had authority to sell, which is situated at Ise in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, which to your knowledge is false, thereby committing an offence to wit, false information contrary to and punishable by Section 39 of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission Establishment Act, No.1 of 2004.”

Not guilty

Felix Duke denied the charges when the court read them and pleaded not guilty.

After his plea, the prosecution lawyer, Abdulhamid Lamido Tukur, asked the court to set a trial date and order that the defendant be held in a correctional facility.

But the defence lawyer, Sunday Afolabi, pointed out a bail application dated 4 November which was filed the next day.

He explained that the application was based on an 18-paragraph affidavit sworn by the defendant’s wife.

Afolabi then asked the court to grant his client bail with easy conditions or on self-recognisance.

Prosecution opposes request

In response, Tukur told the court that his team submitted a counter-affidavit dated 10 November.

He highlighted a point from paragraph six, saying the defendant had jumped bail since July 2026 and urged the court to consider this.

Tukur also mentioned that the prosecution plans to call four witnesses during the trial.

He said: “We filed a 14-paragraph counter-affidavit, urging the court to reject the bail application. The defendant has jumped EFCC’s administrative bail since July. Also, the defendant has been pursuing his fundamental rights enforcement suit in another court through his legal counsel.”

N10m bail

After listening to both sides, Justice Ijelu granted Felix Duke bail of N10 million. He must have two sureties who will each provide the same amount.

The judge said one of the sureties must be a blood relative of the defendant.

He also ordered that both sureties live in Lagos, show proof of tax payments to the Lagos State Government over the last three years, and provide evidence of income sources.

Justice Ijelu also told Duke to hand over his international passport to the court registrar and said he cannot leave Nigeria until the case is over.

The judge adjourned the case until 16 December for the trial to start.

He ordered that the defendant remain in a correctional facility until he meets the bail conditions.

Duke is known for classic songs like “Mr Goody Goody”, “Walare”, “Baba”, “Joanna”, “Cynthia”, “General”, among others.