The police have accused a self-acclaimed importer, Chukwudi Nwankwo, of obtaining N50million from two men, under the pretext of supplying them with pregnancy test kits and issuing them with a dud cheque.
Nwankwo, 45, was arraigned Monday before Magistrate O.O. Oshin of an Igbosere Magistrates’ Court, Lagos on a four-count charge of obtaining, stealing and issuance of a dud cheque.
Prosecuting Supol Eshiet Eshiet said the defendant and others at large conspired to commit the alleged offence some time in the month of April 2015, at Aguda in Surulere, Lagos.
He said Nwankwo collected the alleged sum from two men, Francis Akaegbusi and Eugene Nwokoye, who is now late, under the pretext that he would import a pharmaceutical product called Accurate Pregnancy Test Kit, for them but did not do so.
The prosecutor also said that Nwankwo, with an intent to defraud, issued a Fidelity Bank dud cheque dated February 25, 2016, in the sum of N21,650,000, in favour of the complainants which was dishonoured due to insufficient funds in his account.
“One of the complainants in the case Eugene Nwokoye died in the process,” Eshiet said.
According to the prosecutor the offences are punishable under Sections 409, 312(3), 285(10) and 319(b) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
The defendant pleaded not guilty.
Magistrate Oshin granted him N2million bail, with two sureties in the like sum, one of whom must be a level 16 civil servant with the Lagos State government.
One of the sureties must also be a landed property owner in Lagos and deposit N2m in the state government’s account
The case was adjourned till May 31.
