The police on Thursday arraigned a 55-year-old woman, Olusola Olujonwon, and a 54-year-old man, Ogunade Feyikemi, for allegedly defrauding two female job seekers of N532,000 for police recruitment.
The defendants, whose residential addresses were not provided, were arraigned in an Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court.
They are facing a five-count charge bordering on conspiracy, stealing and obtaining money under false pretenses, to which they both pleaded not guilty.
The defendants are accused of conspiring to obtain the sum of N532, 000 from the complainants — one Miss Tolulope Oke and one Miss Aderonke Adesina — on the pretext of securing a police job for them, a representation they knew to be false.
The Police Prosecutor, ASP Akeem Raji, told the court that the defendants committed the offences sometime in August, at No. 34, Kodesho St., Ikeja.
He said that the defendants collected the sum of N313, 000 from Oke and N219, 000, from Adesina, totalling N532, 000.
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“The defendants stole the complainants’ money and diverted it to their personal use after they failed to secure the job as promised,” the prosecutor said.
The Chief Magistrate, Mrs O. A. Layinka granted the defendants N100, 000 bail, with two sureties in like sum.
Layinka said that the sureties must be gainfully employed and have evidence of two years tax payment to the Lagos State Government.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the offences violate Sections 287(5)(a), 314 and 411 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2015.
Obtaining money under false pretenses is punishable with 15 years imprisonment, stealing attracts three years, while conspiracy is punishable with two years jail term.
The Magistrate adjourned the case until Dec. 10 for hearing. (NAN)