The Police at the Lion Building Division, Lagos Island, have arrested four suspected fraudsters for allegedly defrauding a female Bureau de Change agent, Taiwo Tawa Shehu of the sum of $20,000 at the Union bank PLC located at 11, Broad Street, Lagos Island, Lagos.
Police alleged that trouble started for the suspects on 13 February, 2019 when the suspects called the complainant to bring $20,000 equivalent to N7,200,000 to Union bank on broad Street, Lagos Island for them to buy .
The police further alleged that as soon as the complainant handed the dollars over to the suspects at the banking hall to count, they cleverly change the original $20,000 dollars to fake one and handed it over back to the complainant with the excuse that the amount she offered to sell the dollars was too much, unknown to her that the dollars the suspects returned to her were fake.
Police said that the complainant later discovered that the $20,000 the suspects returned to her was fake and that she reported the matter to the police who arrested the suspects through tracking.
All the suspects were charged before the Igbosere Magistrate Court, Lagos on a three-count of stealing.
Police Counsel, Moshood Abiola told the court in charge No O/16/2019 that the accused persons committed the offence at Union bank on Broad Street, Lagos Island on 13 February, 2019.
Abiola informed the court that the accused deliberately lured the complainant to the bank to defraud her.
He said that the offences committed were punishable under sections 411, 287(7) and 329(1)(c) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the alleged crime and Magistrate O.O Otitoju granted them bail in the sum of N100,000 each with two sureties each in like sum.
Otitoju adjorned the case till 3 April, 2019 for mention and ordered that the defendants be remanded at the Ikoyi Prison, Lagos pending the fulfillment of the bail conditions.
