Crime
Court remands driver over N86m fraud, impersonation
A Lagos Federal High Court on Thursday remanded a driver, Jackson Ndubuisi, in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS), for alleged conspiracy, fraud, and impersonation.
The driver was remanded in the custody of the NCoS by Justice Nicholas Oweibo after pleading not guilty to the allegations brought against him by officers from the Force Criminal Investigation Department (Force CID), Alagbon-Ikoyi, Lagos.
The police, through their prosecutor, Sunday Oladitan Ayodele, told the court that the defendant, along with others who are still at large, falsely presented himself to the duo of Ebenezer Omowunmi and Alexander Fayankinnu in March 2020, claiming to be a driver capable of delivering containers to the Apapa port terminal in Lagos.
The prosecutor further told the court that the defendant fraudulently obtained 43 containers from his victims, and he allegedly sold them away.
The prosecutor further told the court that for the defendant to succeed in carrying out the alleged illegal acts, he impersonated one Nyeche Ndidi Osogor, whose name he used in defrauding his victims.
He told the court that the offences committed by the defendant, are contrary to section 8(a); 1(1)(c) and punishable under section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.
He also told the court that the offences contravened sections 383 and 484 and were punishable under section 390(9) of the Criminal Code Act, Cap C38, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the offences when the charges were read to him.
Following his plea of not guilty, the prosecutor urged the court to remand him in the custody of the NCoS, till the determination of the charge. While also asking for a trial date.
The defendant’s lawyer, M. Udeagwu, did not oppose the prosecutor’s request.
Consequently, Justice Oweibo, adjourned the matter till June 30, for the commencement of trial, while ordering that the defendant be remanded in the custody of the NCoS.
