15th September, 2018
Paul Iyoghojie
A businessman, Paulson Ogbonna, 58 and Chika Chikwuocha, 36 have been arraigned before a Lagos Magistrate Court for allegedly obtaining the sum of N92 million from one Obinna Onyekaokwu on the pretext to register him as a contractor with top government agencies.
The agencies are the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Police, Federal Ministry of Works, Power and the Nigeria
National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC.
A Police source alleged that the accused persons were arrested by operatives of the Anti-fraud Unit of the Federal Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, FCIID Alagbon, Ikoyi, Lagos by a team led by ASP Sherifat Fadeyi following a petition by the complainant.
The accused were charged before an Igbosere Magistrate Court, Lagos on a three-count charge of felony to wit, obtaining money under false pretence and stealing.
Police Counsel, George Nwosu informed the court in charge No B/92/2018 that the accused persons committed the offence between 2016 and July, 2018 in Lagos.
Nwosu told the court that the accused tricked the complainant and collected the sum of N92 million from him on the pretext to use the money to lobby and register him as a contractor with the Nigeria Army, Nigeria Police, Federal Ministry of Works, Power and the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, a claim the police said the accused knew to be false.
Nwosu further told the court that after the accused collected the money from the complainant, they failed to register him as a contractor and also failed to refund the money back to him till date.
He said the offences committed were punishable under sections 409, 312 and 285 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2011.
The accused pleaded not guilty to the alleged offence in the open court and Chief Magistrate Folashade Botoku granted them bail in the sum of N10 million each with two sureties each in like sum who must own landed property in Ikoyi, Lagos with C of O.
Botoku adjourned the case until 30 October, 2018 for mention and ordered that the defendants be kept at the Ikoyi and Kirikiri Prisons till they perfected their bail conditions.