2 Men Charged For Defrauding Firm Of N 3.7m

Two men, Umaru Sani 31 and Wada Musa, 36, were Friday, charged before an Igbosere Chief Magistrate’s Court of Lagos, for defrauding a flour company, Crown Flour Mill Limited of the sum of N3.760, 000, million, under the pretence of supplying animal feed to the company.

The duo were arraigned before Chief Magistrate Afolashade Botoku led-court by the men of Force Intelligence and Investigation  ( FCIID), Alagbon-Ikoyi, Lagos, on a two count charge bordering on conspiracy and obtaining under the said money false pretence.

Arraignment the two defendants before the court on Friday, the prosecutor, Barrister Morufu Animashaun, told the court that the defendants and others now at large, on or before February 12, 2018, obtained the mentioned amount from one Alhaji Musa Hasaan, a transporter and supplier with company, under the promised of supplying him animal feeds.

Animashaun told the court that the two defendants after receiving the money from their victim, failed to deliver the goods, and also failed to reimbursed the victim.

Animashaun told the court that the offences committed by the defendants are contrary to sections 411 and 287 of the criminal laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the offences.

After the defendants’ plea of not guilty, the prosecutor, Barrister Animashaun, urged the court to remand them in prison custody pending the conclusion of the matter.

The prosecutor also told the court that granting bail to the defendants will jeopardize the police efforts in arresting other suspects in the charge. Adding that if the court is mindful of admitting them to a bail, it should be with conditions that will enable their attendance during trial.

However, lawyer to the defendants, U. N. Eze Okeke, urged the court to admit his clients to bail in the most liberal terms, adding that his clients will not jump bail if granted.

Presiding Chief Magistrate Botoku, while ruling on the bail application, admitted to two defendants to bail in the sum of N250, 000, with two sureties in the same sum.

Chief Magistrate Botoku also ordered that each of the sureties must produce three years tax certificate payable to the Lagos State Government, with mean of livelihood.

Botoku also ordered that all the documents produced by the sureties must be verified by the prosecutor. She also ordered that the defendants be remanded in prison custody pending the fulfilment of the bail terms, while adjourned the matter till September 3, for the trial of the defendants.

Charge against the defendants in charge number B/69/2018,  read: “That you Umaru Sani ‘m’. Wada Musa ‘m’ and others now at large, on or about 12th February, 2018, 01 the Crown Flour Mill  Limited, Tin-Can lsland, Apapa, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial district, did conspire amongst yourselves to commit felony to wit felony  and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 411 Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.

“That you Umoru Sani ‘m’, Wada Musa ‘m’ and others now at large, on the same date, time and place, in the aforementioned Magisterial District, with an intent to permanently deprive one Alhaji Musa Hassan of the sum of Three Million Seven Hundred and Sixty Thousand Naira, (N3,760,000.00) fraudulently under the guise of sale of animal feeds, but converted the said sum to your own use and thereby committed on offence contrary o and punishable under Section 287 Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015”.