A 35-year-old car dealer, Ibrahim Sanni, and a 33-year-old Odubanjo Kayode who allegedly swindled a businessman were on Wednesday arraigned before a Lagos Magistrates’ court sitting at Ebute-Metta, for allegedly obtaining vehicles worth N12.6m by false pretence.
The defendants are facing eight counts -of conspiracy, obtaining property by false pretence, stealing, intent to commit a misdemeanour and false information preferred against them by the police.
They were also accused of converting N17m, which was the cost of clearing the vehicles, to their personal use.
The police prosecutor, Inspector Cyriacus Osuji, told the court that the defendants and others still at large conspired to commit the offences.
Osuji said the incident took place sometime in August 2021 at No. 33, Johnson Street, off Bode Thomas, Surulere, Lagos.
He said the first defendant, Sanni, received four vehicles from the complainant, Taiwo Obalola, who shipped them to him for sale, but that after the sales of the vehicles, Sanni converted the money to his use.
Osuji told the court that the vehicles that were shipped to the first defendant were one Toyota Matrix 2006 model valued atN2,750,000; a Toyota Forerunner, 2006 model valued at N4m, a Toyota Camry Sport 2008 model valued at N3.1m and a Toyota Camry Sport 2007 model valued N2.8m, property of the complainant.
The total amount stolen from the complainant was put at N29.6m
Osuji also alleged that the first and second defendants on June 22, 2023, while in the office of the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Federal SWAT at Adeniji Adele, attempted to commit a misdemeanour.
The prosecutor said the offences committed contravened Sections 411, 313,314 (1) (a) (b) and 280 (1) (b), 287, 412 and 96 9a0 of the criminal laws of Lagos state 2015.
However, the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.
Magistrate Olanike Olagbende granted the defendants bail in the sum of N5m each with two sureties each in like sum.
Olagbende remanded the first defendant and released the second defendant to his family.
The case was adjourned till August 10 for mention.
