Businessman sent to prison for stealing $45,000

Paul Iyoghojie

A 31-year old businessman, Bonny Ifeuwabunike has been arraigned before a Lagos Magistrate Court for allegedly obtaining $45,000 from two customers on pretext of helping them to convert the money to naira equivalent, but instead allegedly converted the dollars to his use and escaped.

A Police source alleged that the Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG, in charge of Zone 2 Command, Onikan, Lagos, Adamu Ibrahim directed his men led by the Inspector Monday Ohihon to trace and arrest the accused following a petition by the complainants, Taiwo Alli and Oluwaseun Awoselu that the accused collected the sum of $45,000 from them in Ikeja, Lagos to help them exchange it to Naira equivalent, but instead allegedly escaped with the currency.

The source further alleged that following the report, the police team swung into action and after days of intelligence gathering, tracked the accused to Benin City, Edo State and arrested him.

The accused was charged before the Igbosere Magistrate Court, Lagos on a five-count charge of felony to wit, obtaining money under false pretence and stealing.

Police Counsel, Francis Igbinosa informed the court in charge No N/33/2018 that the the accused committed the alleged crime in July, 2018 in Ikeja, Lagos.

Igbinosa told the court that the accused tricked the complainants and collected the $45,000 from them via Westfergo bank account No 1689140800 with the promise to pay them back in naira equivalent, but instead converted the dollars to his use and escaped before his was arrested.

He said the offences the accused committed were punishable under sections 411, 314 and 287 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the alleged crime and Magistrate O.M Ajayi granted him bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum who must have prove of three years tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

Ajayi adjourned the case till 8 November, 2018 for mention and ordered that the defendant be kept at the Ikoyi Prison till he perfected the bail conditions.