8th November, 2018
A trader, Salisu Abdullahi, who allegedly defrauded a woman by collecting $1,500 dollars from her on the pretext of giving her naira equivalent, was on Thursday bought before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court.
The accused, 28, whose residential address was not provided, is facing a two-count charge of stealing and obtaining by false pretences.
The prosecution said that the accused fraudulently collected $1,500 from one Mrs Bukola Adenekan with a promise to give her the naira equivalent.
Police Sgt. Kenrich Nomayo told the court that the accused committed the offences on Aug. 18, at 3.30p.m. at Ogba Shopping Complex, Ogba in Lagos.
Nomayo said that the complainant, Adenekan, went to a bureau de change at the shopping complex to change the money, and the accused collected it from her with a promise to transfer the naira equivalent (N536, 250) to her bank account.
“The accused collected the money from the complainant and handed it over to a certain man, who later told the complainant that the said money had been sent to her account.
“The complainant did not receive any credit alert from the accused, and all attempts made to collect the money proved abortive,” he said.
The offences contravene Sections 287 and 314 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised).
Section 287 stipulates a three-year jail term for stealing while Section 314 prescribes a 15-year jail term for false pretences.
The Chief Magistrate, Mrs T. A. Ojo, admitted the accused to bail in the sum of N250, 000 with two sureties in like sum.
Ojo ordered that the sureties must be gainfully employed with an evidence of three years’ tax payment to the Lagos State Government.
She adjourned the case until Dec. 5 for trial.