A 51-year-old man, Hakeem Garba, who allegedly defrauded 300 people of N20 million on pretext of building apartments for them, on Monday appeared before a Yaba Chief Magistrates’ Court, Lagos.
Garba is facing a two-count charge of conspiracy and obtaining by false pretences.
According to the prosecutor, ASP Roman Unuigbe, the accused committed the offences with three persons still at large from August 2017 to July 2018, on Mojisola Street, Ifako-Ijaiye, Lagos.
He said that the accused presented himself as a property developer and collected money from the victims.
“My lord, he and his cohorts paraded themselves as developers and swindled 300 people of N20 million.
“They had promised to build apartments for the complainants, and collected commitment fees from all of them, knowing same to be false.
“Some of the complainants suspected it was fraud so they filed a report at Zone 2, Onikan Police Station.
“Upon investigation, it was discovered that there were more victims swindled by accused.
“The police was able to arrest Garba, while the other three persons are still at large,” he said.
The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The offences contravened Sections 314 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised).
In his ruling, the Chief Magistrate, Peter Ojo, granted the accused bail in the sum of N1 million with two sureties in like sum.
He said that one of the sureties must be a blood relation of the accused and both sureties should show evidence of three years’ tax payment to Lagos State Government.
The case was adjourned until Aug. 31 for mention. (NAN)