Two Apapa clearing agents, Augustine Akunne, and Emeka Thomas have been arrested after being accused of duping a customer N5 million.
Operatives of the Special Weapons and Tactical Team (SWAT) of the Nigeria Police, at Adeniji Adele Road, Lagos Island, Lagos arrested the suspects and dragged them before a Lagos Magistrate’s Court.
Akunne and Thomas were accused of collecting the money from the complainant, Ndubushi Ekwe in 2020 with the promise to help him clear a 40ft container loaded with pharmaceutical products from the Tin Can Island, Apapa, Lagos.
The accused were said to have converted the money to their personal use and fled.
The police said nemesis, however, caught up with the agents when the complainant petitioned the Inspector General of Police about the matter who referred the case to the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of SWAT, Olubunmi Steven Ogendegbe for proper investigation.
Following the directives, Ogendegbe ordered his crack team to arrest the suspects anywhere they might be hiding. They were traced to a hideout in Lagos and arrested.
Akunne, a resident of Stone Water Estate, Festac and Thomas who lives at Ijegun, Ikotun area of Lagos were charged before the Tinubu Magistrate’s Court, Lagos on three count charges bordering on conspiracy, obtaining money under false pretence and stealing.
Police Counsel, Abraham Fadipe told the court in the charge marked W/48/2022 that the defendants committed the offence in March 2020 at the Tin Can Island Port, Apapa Lagos, Nigeria.
Fadipe informed the Court that the defendants collected the sum of N5m from the complainant with the promise to help him clear a 40ft container loaded with pharmaceutical products from the Tin Can Island, Apapa, Lagos but that the defendants instead converted the money to their use and fled before they were tracked and arrested.
He said the offences, the defendants, committed were punishable under sessions 411,314{1) and 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges and Magistrate A.O Alogha granted them bail with two sureties each and adjourned the case till 29 November 2022.
Alogba ordered that the defendant be detained at the Ikoyi correctional facility till they perfected the bail conditions.
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