A savings collector, Omowunmi Abolade, was on Wednesday
arraigned before a Tinubu Magistrate’s Court for allegedly diverting a sum of
N8 million belonging to her customers. The
22-year-old woman appeared before a Chief Magistrate, Mrs. K.B. Ayeye, on three
counts of obtaining money under false pretences.
Abolade and four others at large had an office in Sangotedo
community of the Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State, where they used
to run the savings business. They persuaded unsuspecting members of the public
to save money with them with a promise to give them loans to start or expand
their business in the nearest future.
As of July 2016, the syndicate was said to have collected
N8m from one Friday Eworo, Olayiwola Tobilola, Okafor Augustine and 10 other
customers.
They reportedly shut the office and fled with the sum while
their victims tried in vain to retrieve their respective contributions.
The alleged fraud was later reported at the Elemoro Police
Division and Abolade was arrested.
A police prosecutor, Inspector Nurudeen Thomas, told the
court on Wednesday that the offence committed by the defendant contravened
sections 285, 312 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
The charges read in part, “That you, Omowunmi Abolade and
four others now at large, sometime in the month of July, 2016, at about 10am at
Sangotedo town, in the Eti-Osa LGA, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District,
did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to wit: obtaining money under
false pretences and stealing.
“That you, and four others at large, did unlawfully obtain
the sum of N8m from one Friday Eworo, Olayiwola Tobilola, Okafor Augustine and
10 others, under the pretence that you will give them loans which are to be
paid back with certain interest rates at a given period, knowing same to be
false, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 312 of the
Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.”
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty and chose summary
trial.
The magistrate granted her bail in the sum of N200,000 with
two sureties in like sum, adding that the sureties must be gainfully employed
and must tender evidence of Lagos State tax clearance to the court.
The case was adjourned till September 7, 2016.
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