Lagos Magistrates’ Court sitting at Tinubu on Thurday ordered the prison remand a 49-year-old lawyer, Shina Ibrahim, for allegedly swindling one Mrs. Idowu Ayodeji of N13m under the guise of selling a landed property located on Lagos Island to her.
The court seized the certificate of call to Bar of Ibrahim, who was also accused of threatening the life of his victim.
The accused was remanded alongside his alleged accomplice, Falilulai Sarumi, 67, with whom he was on Thursday arraigned on seven counts.
In the charge before the court, the police alleged that Ibrahim and Sarumi, with others at large, conspired among themselves and committed the offence at about 10am on September 2, 2015.
According to police prosecutor, Francesca Okere, the landed property which the accused purportedly offered for sale to Ayodeji belonged to one Mrs. Elizabeth Olajide.
Ibrahim was accused of tricking the victim into paying N13m into his bank account while presenting Mrs. Olajide’s property to the victim, with the full knowledge that the said property was not for sale.
As for Sarumi, the police alleged that in connivance with some persons still at large, he aided Ibrahim in defrauding Ayodeji, by obtaining, through his sky bank account, a sum of N12.3m from Ibrahim, while posing as the agent on the landed property purportedly put up for sale.
The two were also accused of making an attempt on the life of the victim, when upon suspicion, demanded for the refund of her money.
They were also accused of storming Mrs. Olajide’s house, threatening to kill her tenants, and in the process vandalising the doors, windows and the roof of the house in a bid to eject the occupants.
The seven counts levelled against Ibrahim and Sarumi bordered on conspiracy, stealing, obtaining under false pretence and threat to life.
The prosecutor said, “My Lord, the accused have violated sections 409, 312, 285, 337 and 56 of the Criminal Law of Lagos state of Nigeria 2011 and are liable to punishment under the same laws.”
The two accused however pleaded not guilty.
They were subsequently admitted to bail in the sum of N750,000 each with two sureties in like sum.
The presiding magistrate, Mr. L.A. Owolabi, said the sureties must be up to 40 years of age, a blood relation, to show evidence of tax payment for three years and with their addresses verified.
He also ordered Ibrahim to deposit his certificate of call to the Nigerian Bar into the custody of the court.
The magistrate ordered the remand of the accused pending the perfection of their bail terms.
The matter was adjourned till October 6, 2015 for mention.
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