Businessman Docked For Allegedly Defrauding Customer N13.8m

PAUL IYOGHOJIE

A businessman, Adeyemi Akeem Ademola, 56, has been arrested by the operatives of the Nigeria Police Zone 2 Command, Lagos and dragged before a Lagos Magistrate’s Court for allegedly obtaining the sum of N13,800,000 from his customer, Mobolaji Yusuf  under false pretence.

Police said the defendant allegedly collected the money from the complainant with intent to help him invest in a highly interest yielding business and a promise of paying back the money.

But the Complainant said after collecting the money, Adeyemi had allegedly failed to pay back the money as agreed and instead switched off his phones and fled.

Police further alleged that when the complainant waited for months without hearing from the defendant about the transactions and his phones were no longer going through, he sensed foul play and quickly petitioned the Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG Adegoke Fayoade who directed his men to locate the defendant and arrest him.

The Police team swung into action and tracked the defendant to a hideout in Lagos and arrested him.

The defendant was charged before the Igbosere Magistrate’s Court at the Tinubu Magistrate’s Court, Lagos Island on a three count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence and stealing.

Police prosecutor, ASP Ibrahim Haruna told the Court in the charge marked L/29/2025 that the defendant committed the offence in 2024 at Salaudeen Akano Street, Ogudu GRA, Ogudu, Lagos.

Haruna informed the court that the defendant intentionally collected the money from the complainant with the false claim of using the money to invest in an interest yielding business but that the defendant after collecting the money disappeared into thin air before he was rearrested.

He said the offences were punishable under sections 411,314 and 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.