A businessman, Daniel Uhegbu, who allegedly defrauded a pastor of N2 million and one other person, N1.15 million, on the pretext of procuring Canadian visa, on Monday appeared before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court.
Fifty-year-old Uhegbu, who resides on Eging-Ekem St., Ikorodu, Lagos, is facing a six-count-charge bordering on conspiracy, fraud, stealing and obtaining by false pretences.
The prosecution said that the accused portrayed himself as a staff of Canadian Embassy and defrauded Pastor Fortune Chuckwudi and David Uche in the guise that he would procure Canadian visa for them.
Police Insp. Raphael Donny told the court that the accused committed the offences with one person still at large on March 15, 2017, on Victoria Island, Lagos.
The prosecutor said that the accused stole a Nigerian Passport No: A02572422, property of the pastor, and also stole his N2 million.
He added that the accused fraudulently obtained N1. 15 million from another complainant under the pretext that he was a staff of Canadian Embassy and would procure visa for him too.
The offences contravene Sections 287, 314 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Section 314 prescribes a 15-year jail term for false pretences while Section 287 stipulates a seven-year jail term for stealing.
The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the offences.
The Chief Magistrate, Mrs B.O. Osunsemi, admitted the accused to bail in the sum of N1 million with two sureties in like sum.
Osunsemi said that the sureties must be gainfully employed with an evidence of three years’ tax payment to the Lagos State Government.
She adjourned the case until Jan. 30, 2019 for trial. (NAN)
