A 35-year-old estate agent, Gbeminiyi Babajide, has been arraigned before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court for allegedly defrauding his estranged lover of N5m.
The accused, who lives at 10 Bolarinwa Street, Kajola, Ibadan, Oyo State, is facing two counts of fraud and stealing.
It was gathered that the accused allegedly collected the sum of N5m from his estranged lover, Oluwaseun Giwa, by pretending to help her invest the fund in a business.
According to the police prosecutor, Michael Unah, the accused committed the offences between 2014 and 2016 in Surulere, Lagos.
Unah said the complainant transferred the N5m, which she wanted to use to open a supermarket, into the account of the accused for safekeeping and investment purpose.
The prosecutor stated, “The complainant entrusted the N5m to the care of the accused while they were in a relationship.
“The accused converted the money into his personal use without the complainant’s consent after they had gone their separate ways.
“All efforts made to recover the money proved abortive as the accused resorted to threatening her whenever she asked for the money.”
Unah said the offences violated sections 287, 314 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos, 2015 (revised).
According to him, Section 287 stipulated a seven-year jail term for stealing, while Section 314 prescribed 15 years for obtaining under false pretences.
The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The presiding magistrate, Mr A. A. Fashola, admitted the accused to N250,000 bail with two sureties in like sum.
Fashola said the sureties must be gainfully employed with evidence of three years tax payment to the Lagos State Government and have their addresses verified by the court.
He added that the sureties must reside within the court’s jurisdiction.
The magistrate adjourned the case till January 30, 2019, for mention.
