Trader jailed over attempt to withdraw money from customer’s account

Paul Iyoghojie

An igbosere Magistrate Court, Lagos has sentenced a trader at Computer Village, Ikeja, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, Opah Johnson Emeka, 25, to two and half years imprisonment for attempting to withdrew the sum of N166, 000 from the account of one Pauline Ngozi Ajah domiciled at Access Bank plc with two stolen cheque leaflets belonging to her.

The convict was sentenced by Magistrate A.T. Omoyele after she found him guilty of conspiracy, forgery and stealing preferred against him by the police at the Bar beach Division, Lagos during the trial spanning about two years.

Police Prosecutor, Cyriacus Osuji had informed the court in charge No. L/19/2015 that the convict committed the offence on 23 July, 2015 at Access bank Plc, Ikotun Branch, Lagos.

Osuji told the court that the convict and one Jolaosho now at large walked into the Bank with two Access Bank cheque leaflets with No. 00322 and 00326 belonging to the complainant to withdraw the sum of ₦166,000 from her account unknown to them that the complainant had earlier reported to the bank that unknown person had stolen her two Access bank cheque leaflets.

He said that the clerk at the bank who attended to the convict and his accomplice pretended to be arranging the money and invited the police who stormed the bank to arrest the convict while his accomplice, Jolaosho managed to escape from the banking hall.

Osuji said that during trial, the convict told the court that he was not the one who stole the cheque leaflets from the complainant but that a friend he could not remember his name gave him and his accomplice the cheque leaflets to go to the bank and cash it.

Magistrate Omoyele after listening, sentenced the convict to two and half years imprisonment without an option of fine.

Omoyele, however direc,ted that the sentence should run concurrently.