A 63-year-old man, Ogbonyomi Taiye, has been remanded in the Ikoyi Prison by an Ebute-Meta Magistrate’s Court for fraud pending when he will fulfill his bail conditions.
Taiye was arraigned in two separate charges by the police from the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Yaba.
He was alleged to have defrauded one James Okolo, a United States-based Nigerian businessman of the sum of N33.8m after reportedly failing to supply him Bony Light Crude Oil.
The suspect was alleged to have also defrauded one Dr Godknows Itamunoala of the sum of N1.8m in a similar deal in June 2018.
The first charge read in part, “That you, Ogbonyomi Taiye, and others at large, on February 12, 2018 on Ariyo Street, Ejigbo area of Lagos State, in the Lagos Magisterial District , with intent to defraud, did obtain the sum of N33.8m from one James Okolo of C & T Majesty Global Trading Co. Limited under the pretext of supplying Bony Light Crude Oil to him, a representation you knew to be false….”
The second charge read in part, “That you, Ogbonyomi Taiye, and others at large, on June 21, 2018, at Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, with intent to defraud, did obtain the sum of N1.8m from one Dr Godknows Itamunoala, under the pretext of supplying Bony Light Crude Oil to him.”
The police prosecutor, Cyril Ejiofor, said the offences were punishable under sections 411, 314 and 280 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011.
The magistrate, A.O. Komolafe, admitted him to bail in the sum of N5m with two sureties in like sum on the first charge, and N100,000 with two sureties in like sum on the second charge.
The Kogi State indigene was remanded in prison pending the fulfilment of the bail conditions as the case was adjouned till September 17, 2018.