Man in Court for N950m Fraud

A 45-year-old man, Olusegun Ogunbanjo, who allegedly defrauded two men to the tune of N950m was on Thursday arraigned in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria reported that the defendant was arraigned at a Sabo-Yaba Chief Magistrates’ Court on a three-count.

He, however, pleaded not guilty to the counts of obtaining by false pretences, forgery and stealing.

The prosecutor, Rita Momah, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, told the court that the defendant committed the offences between January 2017 and December 2022 in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State.

Momah submitted that the defendant obtained N450m from one Mr Olusola lkuyajesin and N500m from one Mr Durodola Balogun under false pretences of using the money to buy stationeries.

She added that the defendant forged an organisation’s Local Purchase Orders to carry out the acts, in contravention of Sections 287, 314 and 365 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State.

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty.

The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Adeola Olatubosun, granted him bail in the sum of N10m with two sureties in like sum.

Olatubosun ordered that the defendant must deposit his passport with the court.

She also directed that one of the sureties must have a landed property within the court’s jurisdiction.

She adjourned the case till April 5 for a substantive hearing.