The police in Lagos arraigned
an Internet car dealer, Abiola Akinlonu, before an Igbosere Magistrate’s Court
on Monday for alleged conversion of N5m into personal use.
The defendant Abiola
Akinlonu was arrested by the police in January 2016 by operatives of the
Special Fraud Unit in Ikoyi, Lagos, for reportedly defrauding a neighbour,
Ikena Ezeoka, of the sum of N5m.
Punch Metro gathered that
the duo lived on Abbi Street, Mende, in the Maryland area.
Ezeoka was said to have
approached the defendant, who sells car and usually came home with different
vehicles, sometime in 2013 that he needed two vehicles – a Ford Explorer
2007/2008 model and a Range Rover 2007 model.
Akinlonu showed pictures of
the cars to Ezeoka on his computer, claiming that he helped people buy vehicles
of their choice on the Internet.
Afterwards, the dealer
reportedly gave him a bank account to pay the money into with a promise that
the vehicles would be delivered to him a few days after the payment.
However, it was said that
after paying the sum, Akinlonu reneged on his promise. He eventually issued a
Diamond Bank cheque of N5m to the complainant, but the cheque was reportedly
dishonoured when Ezeoka tendered it at a branch of the bank.
Ezeoka tried in vain to get
his money refunded and became more worried when he discovered that the
complainant had vacated his residence.
Efforts to locate his
whereabouts were futile until January 19 2016 when the SFU operatives, to whom
the alleged fraud was reported, swooped on him due to tip-off at his present
residence on Samuel Awoniyi Street, Opebi, Ikeja.
The SFU prosecutor,
Inspector Adoga Amedu, brought Akinlonu before Magistrate Ambibola Akomolafe on
three counts of stealing and issuance of a dud cheque.
Amedu told the court that
the offences contravened sections 285, 319 and 409 of the Criminal Law of
Lagos, 2011, adding that the defendant connived with others at large to commit
the crime.
The charges read in part,
“That you, Abiola Akinlonu, and others at large, sometime in 2013, on Abbi
Street, Mende, Maryland, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did steal a
sum of N5m, property of one Ikena Ezeoka.
“That you, and others at large, on the same
date, time and place, in the aforesaid magisterial district, with intent to
defraud, issued a Diamond Bank cheque No 0000004 valued at N5m in favour of
Ikenna Ezeoka, knowing well that there was insufficient fund in your account
and the cheque was dishonoured on presentation.”
The defendant pleaded not
guilty to the counts and was granted bail in the sum of N500,000 with one
responsible surety.
The case was adjourned till
May 24, 2016.
Punch
You can run but cannot hide
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