A 44-year-old businessman, Abiola Afunwape, on Monday appeared before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court for allegedly obtaining N22 million under false pretences.

The police charged Afunwape on three counts  but pleaded not guilty.

The prosecutor, SP Kehinde Ajayi, told the court that the defendant committed the offences sometime in October 2023 at No.

  15A Oduduwa Crescent, GRA, Ikeja.

The prosecutor said that the defendant obtained the amount on the pretext of remitting same to one Chief Akinola Disu.

The prosecutor added that the defendant converted the sum to his personal use.

He said that the defendant pretended to an agent of Disu with the aim of extorting Sagelife Laboratories Ltd.

According to the prosecutor, the offences contravene Sections 287,  380 and 314 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The Magistrate, Mrs  Ejiro Kubeinje, admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of three million Naira with two  sureties in like sum.

She said that the sureties must be gainfully employed and provide proof of tax payment to Lagos State Government.

Kubeinje adjourned the case until June 25 for hearing. (NAN)

For illegally dealing in restricted drugs, a Federal High Court in Lagos convicted and jailed three men on Monday.

Justice Kehinde Ogundare convicted and sentenced Kazeem Mustapha, Andrew Ukelere and Anthony Chinemerem.

The three men were arraigned by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on a two-count charge bordering on drug trafficking to which they  pleaded guilty.

Following the pleas, the court reviewed the facts of the case, with NDLEA counsel,  Ms Ifeoma Erondu,  tendering several exhibits in support of prosecution’s case.

She urged the judge to convict the three men based on their guilty pleas and evidence before the court.

The judge  admitted the exhibits in evidence and  convicted them.

He sentenced Mustapha and Ukelere to  two years imprisonment with an option of N250,000 fine, each, on count one.

On count two, the judge  sentenced Mustapha and Chinemerem to one year imprisonment with an option of N100,000 fine, each.

He directed  that the terms of imprisonment should run concurrently while the fines should be cumulative.

According to NDLEA , the convicts committed the offences on March 19 on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

The agency said that Mustapha and Ukelere illegally trafficked in 13.9kg of Tramadol, adding that Mustapha and Chinemerem trafficked in 590 litres of Pentazocine.

Drug trafficking  contravenes Section 11(b) of the NDLEA Act of  2004. (NAN)

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday re-arraigned a businessman, Edrian Ididia, before an Ikeja Special Offences Court for alleged N84 million car fraud.
Reports says that Ididia was re-arraigned before Justice Ismail Ijelu of Ikeja Special Offences Court on an amended two counts of obtaining by false pretence and stealing.

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The defendant was sometime in November 2021 arraigned before retired Justice Serifat Solebo but was granted bail.
When the case was called on Monday, the EFCC counsel, Mr Ebuka Okongwu, prayed the court for a trial date and also urged the court to remand the defendant.
The EFCC alleged that Ididia obtained the sum of N84 million with intent to defraud one Mark Umeh on the false representation that he had three Sports Utility Vehicles for sale in September 2019, knowing full well that his claim was false.
The commission also submitted that the defendant allegedly stole the money and converted it to his personal use.
The defence counsel, Mr Dada Awosika (SAN), informed the court that he filed an application for bail dated May 2 and he prayed the court to allow his client to continue on the bail earlier granted by the retired judge.
Awosika submitted that the defendant did not at any time violated the bail granted.
He added that the defendant had always been in court.
He prayed the court to admit the defendant to bail as he had been granted bail by a Federal High Court in a similar matter.
“The defendant is ready to stand trial and he will not jump bail if granted by the court,” he said.
EFCC, however, filed a counter affidavit to oppose the bail application.
Okongwu submitted that the defendant worked in a construction company in Canada and that he had a Canadian passport.
“He does not even live in the address he wrote in the statement. The address was traced on the Google and it was discovered that it was a short let apartment.
“He has no residential address for the commission to trace him,” he said.
Awosika, however, responded that the defendant resided in Benin and that his international passport was deposited at the Federal High Court due to the ongoing matter.
He undertook to bring the defendant at the next adjournment date.
“I urge your lordship to release him to me and I will get his family to prepare for his bail bond,” Awosika said.
According to the prosecution, the alleged offences contravene Sections 1(1) (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences 2006 and Section 285 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2015.
Ijelu adjourned the case until May 22 for ruling on the bail application and commencement of trial. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)