A 42-year-old businessman, Mayor Chisom, on Wednesday appeared before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court in Lagos for allegedly obtaining N750,000 under false pretences of doing business with it from one Mr Patrick Okonkwo and disappeared after collecting it.
The defendant fraudulently obtained the money from Okonkwo with the pretext of returning it after a few weeks; a representation he knew to be false.
The defendant was arraigned before Magistrate Ejiro Kubeinje on charges of obtaining money under false pretences and stealing.
The prosecutor, ASP Bisi Ogunleye, told the court that the defendant committed the offences on March 11, 2019 at Abule-Egba in Lagos State.
Ogunleye said that all efforts made by the complainant to get his money proved unsuccessful as the defendant refused to pick his calls.
He added that the defendant was eventually arrested after two years.
Ogunleye said that the offences violated Sections 287 and 314 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Section 287 stipulates three years’ imprisonment for stealing while Section 314 prescribes 15 years for obtaining money under false pretences.
Chisom, however, denied committing the offences and was admitted to a bail of N100,000 with two sureties in like sum.
Magistrate Kubeinje said that the sureties should be gainfully employed and show evidence of two years’ tax payment to the Lagos State Government.
The magistrate adjourned the case until April 21 for mention.
