13th November, 2015
Paul Iyoghojie
A senior manager with an old generation bank in Nigeria, Onyema Emmanuel, 40, and four others have been arraigned before a Lagos magistrates court for allegedly using two Companies, Binzaq Nigeria Ltd and Kelvans International Company to obtain the sum of N80.2m from one Mr Obinna Achume and N40m from Mrs A.C Ojukwu under false pretence.
Others involved are Henry Garba, Emeka Mc Carthy,55, Sesan Womiloju, said to be the Managing Director of Kelvans International Company, 39, Ademola Onafowokan, 40 and Adeniji Olapite Adekunle, 40.
The accused persons were arrested by the operatives of the Inspector General of Police monitoring Unit, Abuja and after investigation by CSP Sule Abass and his team.
They were then were charged before an Igbosere Magistrates’ court, Lagos on a three count charge of felony to wit, obtaining money under false pretence and stealing.
Police prosecutor, DSP Raymond Odion Akhaine informed the court in charge No F/34/2015 that the accused persons and others still at large committed the offence in February, 2015 in Lagos State.
Akhaine told the court presided by Chief Magistrate Mr P.A Ade Komaiya that the accused persons tricked the complainants to pay the sum of N120,200,000 into their companies account with the agreement to help them remit it to their customers abroad in dollars equivalent, a claim Akhaine said the accused persons knew to be false, but that the accused persons instead converted the money for their personal use and escaped.
He said the third accused, Onyema Emmanuel was a bank on Broad Street, Lagos Island at the time the crime was perpetrated, linked his four accomplices with the two complainants to defraud them.
Akhaine said the complainants reported the matter to the police when all their efforts to retrieve the money from the
accused persons proved futile.
He noted that the offences the accused persons committed are punishable under sections 409,312(1)(a) and 285(1) of the criminal laws of lagos State,2011.
All the accused persons however denied the police allegations in the open court, when the charges were read to them.
Magistrate Mr Ade Komaiya admitted them to bail in the sum of N500,000 each with two surties each in like sum.
Ade Komaiya directed that the sureties must not be touts but civil servants on level 9 and above with the Lagos State Civil Service or a senior bank official with a bank.
He adjourned the case till 11 December 2015 for mention, while all the defendants were taken to Ikoyi prison, Lagos pending when they will fulfil their bail conditions.