Man arraigned over N150,000 theft

The Lagos State police command yesterday arraigned a 43-year-old man before an Ebute-Meta magistrate’s court for stealing and obtaining money under false pretence.

The police prosecutor, Sergeant Olatunde Kehinde, told the court that the accused, Tajudeen Atanda, committed the offence on March 24, 2017 on Aina Street, beside Amgaf Hotel, Shomolu, Lagos, by obtaining a sum of N150,000 from one Mudashiru Isiaq under the pretence of selling him a Hyundai Accent car with registration No. LND 138 AR.

Isiaq told the court, “Early February 2017, I followed one Mr Azimiyu Ogunkoya to purchase a car from his mechanic friend. On getting there, I saw the car which Atanda said was up for sale. So we both negotiated and agreed on the sale sum of N250,000. But I paid Atanda the sum of N150,000 and promised to pay him the outstanding amount when the car is fixed.”

According to Isiaq, “The car was motionless and needed to be fixed but he gave me one of the car keys. There was no written agreement to indicate any of the transactions and ever since I gave him the money, all efforts I made to reach him have proven abortive. So I reported the case to the police.”

However, Atanda pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge preferred against him.

The chief magistrate, Mrs Bola Folarin-Williams, granted the accused bail in the sum of N50,000 with one surety and adjourned the case till October 26, 2017 for mention.