The game of greed and deceit played out between a 57-year old car agent, Monsuru Obanla and a buyer, Ayokunle Fasinu, who wanted to buy a Toyota Avensis worth N14m for a paltry sum of N2.150m in Lagos State.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that both are now in trouble as the agent, who swindled him was arrested while the buyer lost the money.
The incident happened in April, 2025 in Ifako Ijaiye area of Lagos, where the transaction took place.
The agent collected the money but the car never arrived and the agent disconnected every communication he had with the buyer.
The matter was reported to the Police at Area G Command, Ogba. The Police operatives moved into action, eventually arrested the agent and detained him at the Command for interrogation over his alleged conduct.
While being interrogated, the suspect, Obanla, told the Police that the complainant, Fasinu, was criminal minded by paying him ₦2.15m, which was barely 15% of ₦14m to “secure” the Toyota Avensis. Both parties allegedly knew the price gap was unrealistic from day one.
According to the Police, Fasinu was chasing cheap bargaining while Obanla allegedly exploited it. When the Toyota Avensis failed to show up, Fasinu demanded a refund. Obanla allegedly responded by calling him “criminal-minded”.
However, the Police found Obanla culpable and charged him before the Ogba Magistrate Court for the alleged offence which attracts several years of imprisonment.
The charges read:
COUNT I: “That you, Monsuru Obanla ‘m’, sometime in April, 2025 somewhere in Ifako Ijaiye Lagos, in the Ikeja Magisterial District, did fraudulently collect the sum of Two Million, One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N2,150,000) from one Ayokunle Fasinu ‘m’ under the pretence that you will help him with same money to procure a Toyota Avensis car, a presentation you know to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 314 of the criminal laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015.”
COUNT II:”That you, Monsuru Obanla, on the same date time and place in the aforementioned Magisterial District, did steal the sum of Two Million, One Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N2,150,000} property of one Ayokunle Fasinu ‘m’ by converting same to your own use and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 280 and punishable under Section 287 of the criminal laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015.”
However, he pleaded not guilty.
The prosecutor, Supol Josephine Ihkayere, asked the Court to give a date for hearing since he pleaded not guilty to enable the Police to prove that he actually committed the alleged offence.
The Presiding Magistrate, Mr. L.A. Owolabi, granted him bail with two sureties, who must show evidence of means of livelihood and tax payment while addresses will be verified by the Court.
The matter was adjourned for mention while the defendant was remanded in custody at the correctional center pending when he will perfect his bail conditions.