A 35-year-old businessman, Andrew Utibe, was on Thursday arraigned in Lagos for allegedly obtaining N250,000 under false pretences.
Utibe, whose address was not provided, is facing a two-count charge of obtaining by false pretences and stealing, before an Ogudu Magistrates’ Court.
He, however, pleaded not guilty.
The prosecutor, Insp. Donjour Perezi, told the court that the defendant committed the offences in August 2018 at Yakubu Street, Off Jimoh Balogun Street in Ikosi-Ketu, Lagos State.
Perezi said that the defendant collected N250,000 from the complainant, Mrs Patience Ogebedie, to jointly start a palm oil business, a representation he knew was false.
“The defendant kept on postponing it, until he disappeared . All efforts to locate him failed until he was sighted by the complainant in Yaba,” he said.
According to the prosecutor, the offences contravened 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’ jail term for stealing,
The magistrate , Mrs Bukola Mogaji, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N100,000 with two sureties in like sum.
Mogaji said that the sureties should show three years’ tax payments to the Lagos State Government ( LASG).
She adjourned the case until Sept. 16 for mention.
