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A federal high court session in Ikoyi, Lagos, has adjourned the internet fraud trial of Naira Marley, the Nigerian singer, to March 2024.
The singer is currently facing trial on 11-count charges bordering on conspiracy and credit card fraud brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in 2019.
Naira Marley, who pleaded not guilty, was earlier granted bail of N2 million with two sureties in like sum.
Although the trial resumed in October 2023, it was stalled in November due to the judge’s absence.
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.
Under cross-examination by Olalekan Ojo, Marley’s lawyer, stated that Visa did not directly link the fraud to Naira Marley’s device.
Ojo also put it to the witness that Visa is a payment platform and not a telecommunications company.
Nicholas Oweibo, the judge, 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.
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