An estate agent, Ogunwale Ogunyemi, 59, on Monday appeared before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court, for allegedly defrauding an accommodation seeker of N675,000.
Ogunyemi, who resides at No. 52, Ganiyu Lamina St., at Alakuko area of Lagos, is facing charges of conspiracy and stealing, to which he pleaded not guilty.
The prosecutor, Insp. Victor Eruada told the court that the defendant committed the offences on February 27 at Alakuko.
Eruada said that the defendant collected the N675,000 from the complainant, Mrs Aminat Alli, for a duplex apartment, a representation he knew was false.
”The complainant later discovered that the defendant had tricked her and all efforts to retrieve her money failed,” he said.
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Eruada said the offences contravened Sections 287 and 314 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Section 314 prescribes 15 years jail term for obtaining by false pretences, while Section 287 stipulates three years imprisonment for stealing.
The Magistrate, Mrs M. I. Dan-Oni, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N200,000 with two sureties in like sum.
Dan-Oni ordered that the sureties must be gainfully employed and show evidence of two years’ tax payment to the Lagos State Government.
The magistrate adjourned the case until November 19 for mention. (NAN)