Two men, Lateef Omo-Ade, 56, and Adeoye Okunade, 45, who allegedly defrauded a woman of several bags of flour, worth N10.350 million, on the pretext of paying her in installments, on Tuesday appeared before an Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court.
The defendants whose residential addresses were not provided, are facing a five-count charge bordering on conspiracy, stealing and obtaining money under false pretense. The duo, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The Police Prosecutor, ASP Akeem Raji, alleged that Omo-Ade fraudulently collected several bags of flour, worth N3.8 million while Okunade obtained bags of flour valued at N6.5 million respectively, totalling N10.350 million, property of one Alhaja Sarufat Oladega.
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Raji told the court that the defendants committed the offences sometimes in 2019 in Agege, a Lagos suburb.
He submitted that the defendants stole the money from the complainant after they fraudulently collected the bags of flour with an assurance to pay in instalments, but they failed to keep their own side of the bargain.
“Omo-Ade issued a dud cheque to the complainant with was rejected in the bank because there was no money in the account.
“Efforts made my the complainant to retrieve either the goods or the money proved abortive,” the prosecutor said.
The Chief Magistrate, Mrs O. I. Adelaja, admitted N500,000 bail to Omo-Ade and N1 million bail to Okunade respectively, with two sureties in like sum.
Adelaja ordered that the sureties must be gainfully employed and have evidence of two years’ tax payment to the Lagos State Government.
The prosecutor said the alleged offences violate Sections 287, 314 and 411 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State Government.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that obtaining money under false pretences attracts 15 years’ imprisonment, stealing, three years while conspiracy is punishable with two years.
The Magistrate adjourned the case until Nov. 22 for mention.
