Two businessmen, who allegedly obtained N1.5 million from a woman under false pretences of helping her to procure N100 million bank draft, on Tuesday appeared before an Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court.
The defendants are Joseph Badmus, 58, and Ibrahim Ayodele, 45, who respectively live at 14, Adeyemi St. and 18, Oladapo Oke St. both in Alagbado, Lagos State.
They are facing charges of obtaining by false pretences and fraud.
The prosecutor, ASP Raji Akeem, told the court that the defendants committed the offences on July 21 at the Nigeria Army Resettlement Centre, Oshodi, Lagos.
The prosecutor said that the defendants obtained N1.5 million from one Mrs Elizabeth Agunbiade under false pretences that they would secure a bank draft for N100 million for her to improve her business.
Akeem said that since then, all efforts to collect the bank draft and the N1.5 million from the defendants failed.
The alleged offences contravene Sections 314 and 325 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty.
The Chief Magistrate, Mrs B. O. Osunsanmi, granted them bail in the sum of N300,000 each with two sureties in like sum.
Osunsanmi adjourned the case until Sept. 28 for mention.
In related development, a 32-year-old man, Temitope Nasiri, who allegedly stole goods belonging to another person, has been arraigned before an Ojo Magistrates’ Court I in Lagos.
The defendant, a trader, is standing trial before Magistrate L.J.K. Layeni, on a three-count charge, bordering on conversion and stealing.
He, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The Prosecutor, Dr Simon Uche, told the court that the defendant committed the offences on Sept. 10 at Ojo.
He said that the defendant obtained goods worth N3.08 million from the complainant, one Oluwaseyi Olumuyiwa, with a promise to sell them and return the proceeds.
Uche said that the defendant sold the goods but never returned the proceeds to the complainant, as hitherto agreed upon.
In counts two and three, the defendant was said to have stolen the said total sum of N3.08 million belonging to the complainant.
According to the prosecutor, the offences contravene the provisions of Sections 31(b) (1a) and 287 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
The magistrate granted the defendant bail in the sum of N1 million, with two sureties in like sum.
He adjourned the case till Oct. 19 for trial.
