18th April, 2022
By Paul Iyoghojie
A suspected fraudster, Ibrahim Gbadebo, 28, was arraigned before a Lagos Magistrate’s Court for allegedly defrauding a businessman of N1,650,000.
Gbadebo was arrested and arraigned for allegedly defrauding Kola Ajikanle of N1,650,000 at a new generation bank located along Nnamdi Azikiwe Street, Lagos Island under false pretence.
Police alleged that Gbadebo posed as a staff of the bank to the complainant whereas he was not a staff and collected the N1,650,000 from him with the pretext to help him convert the money to dollars equivalent for his Personal Travelling Allowance (PTA).
Police further alleged that after the defendant collected the money from the complainant, he escaped from the bank with the money through another exit and abandoned the complainant.
Following the development, the complainant reported the incident to the Divisional Police Officer, DPO in charge of Adeniji Adele Division, Lagos Island who directed his crack team to fish out the defendant.
The Police team after weeks of intelligence gathering tracked the defendant to a hideout in Lagos and arrested him.
Gbadebo was charged before the Tinubu Magistrate’s Court on a two-count charge bordering on obtaining money under false pretence and stealing.
Police Counsel, Mr Ben Ekundayo told the Court in the charge marked TA13/2022 that the defendant committed the offence on 12 August 2021 at Polaris Bank located at Nnamdi Azikiwe Street, Lagos Island, Lagos.
Ekundayo informed the Court that the defendant tricked the complainant and collected the money from him with the promise to help him convert the money to dollars equivalent for his PTA, but that the defendant instead, absconded with the money before he was arrested.
He said the offences, the defendant committed were punishable under sessions 314 and 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges and Chief Magistrate, K.B. Ayeye granted him N300,000 bail with two surties in like sum.
Ayeye adjourned the case till 10 May, 2022 for mention and ordered that the defendant be kept at the Ikoyi Correctional Facility till he perfected the bail conditions.