CYRIACUS IZUEKWE
A 42-year-old woman, Comfort Esim, was arraigned before an Ikeja Magistrate Court for allegedly defrauding one Peter Onah of N2,200,000 through a fake car purchase and land deal in Ogba area of Lagos State.
According to the charge sheet marked CHARGE NO. 2026, the Commissioner of Police is prosecuting Esim alongside others said to be at large.
The prosecution alleged that the offences were committed sometime in December 2021 in Ogba, within the Ikeja Magisterial District.
In Count I, the defendant was accused of conspiring with others to commit felony to wit: stealing. The offence is contrary to and punishable under Section 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.
Count II stated that Esim and others now at large allegedly fraudulently obtained the sum of Two Million, Two Hundred Thousand Naira, N2,200,000.00, from Mr. Onah.
The prosecution alleged that the money was collected under the pretence that the defendant would purchase a Toyota Camry car for the complainant and sell a plot of land she claimed to have in Abuja to him.
The charge stated that the representation was made knowing same to be false. The offence is contrary to and punishable under Section 314 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.
Count III accused the defendant of stealing by converting the same sum of N2,200,000.00, property of Mr. Onah, to her own use. The offence is contrary to Section 280 and punishable under Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The matter was prosecuted by Inspector Moses Ogwu of Area ‘G’ Police Command, Ogba. The prosecutor, SP Philip Ademigbuji, asked the Court to give a date for hearing to enable the Police to prove the allegations.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
The presiding Magistrate, Mrs. O. Kusanu, granted her bail with two sureties in like sum. The sureties are to show evidence of means of livelihood and tax payment. The defendant was remanded in the Correctional Centre at Kirikiri pending the perfection of her bail conditions. The matter was adjourned for mention.
All allegations remain allegations until proven in court. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction.