Evangelist in court over alleged N4.6m fraud

An evangelist, who allegedly obtained N4.6 million under false pretext, was on Wednesday granted N500,000 bail by an Ebute Meta Chief magistrates’ Court in Lagos.

The accused, 52-year-old Michael Adebayo, is being tried on a three-count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining under false pretext and stealing.

He, however, pleaded not guilty to the offences.

The Magistrate, Mrs O. Kusanu, who granted the accused bail in the sum of N500,000, ordered him to produce two responsible sureties each in like sum and adjourned the case till June 7, for further hearing.

Earlier, Insp. Jimah Iseghede, had told the court that the accused committed the alleged offences sometime in January, at Bogiye Ibeju-Lekki.

He alleged that the accused had obtained N4.6 million from Mrs Amaka Aliegwu under the pretext of investing the money in wood business.

The prosecutor told the court that the accused neither invested the money nor returned it to the complainant, but instead, started issuing threats to her life.

Iseghede said the offences contravened Sections 270, 314 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.