Businessman docked for allegedly cheating customer of N1.5m

A businessman, Anthony Ani, 28, on Thursday appeared in a Chief Magistrates’ Court in Gwagwalada, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), for alleged cheating his customer of N1.5 million.

The police charged Ani, who lives in Abudulahi Attah estate, Lokogoma, Abuja, with criminal breach of trust and cheating.

The Prosecution Counsel, Dabo Yakubu, told the court that the complainant, John Nwafu, of new millennium road Gwagwalada, Abuja, reported the matter at Area Commander’s office in Gwagwalada on June 10, 2020.

Yakubu said that sometimes in September 2019 the defendant deceived and collected the sum of N 1.5 million from the complainant through his account domicile with Zenith Bank with account number 2084373283.

He said that the defendant promised to give the complainant a Mercedes Benz van but collected the money and converted same for his own personal use.

The prosecutor said that the defendant relocated from Gwagwalada and refused to pick the complainant’s call again.

Yakubu said the offence contravened the provision of sections 312 and 322 of the Penal Code.

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The defence counsel, Elom Aleke, prayed the court to grant his client bail in the most liberal terms, citing Sections 34, 35 and 36 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amendment and sections 158 and 162 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA).

He said that his client when granted bail will not jump bail, will not interrupt police investigation and will adhere strictly to the terms of the bail.

The prosecution counsel, however, objected to the bail of the defendant on the ground that he is a ‘flight risk’ and would jump bail when granted.

He said that it was a great deal for the police to track down the defendant and brought him to court.

The Chief Magistrate, Aliyu Shafa, addmitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum.

Shafa ordered that the sureties must reside within the court’s jurisdiction and that one of the sureties must be resident in his/her own personal house.

He said that the sureties must present their Bank Verification Number (BVN) and adjourned the case until Aug. 11 for hearing.