A 43-year old man, Christopher Omowaiye, has been arrested and charged in Lagos State for allegedly swindling a company, FERTILIZ ENTERPRISES, to the tune of N50m.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the incident happened at Sadiku Street, Agidingbi Street, Ogba, Lagos, where the company is located and the suspect was employed as a staff.
According to the Police, the suspect and others now at large conspired and unlawfully altered, falsified sale records and diverted the products worth the amount in question.
However, the act got exposed after the company conducted an internal audit and discovered that the items were missing and the suspect was unable to explain what happened.
The matter was then reported to the Police. The suspect was arrested and detained at the Command for interrogation over the missing items.
He was found culpable after rounds of interrogation and the Police charged him before the Ogba Magistrate Court for the alleged offence which attracts several years of imprisonment.
The charges read:
COUNT 1: “That you Christopher Omowaiye ‘m’ and others now at large, on the 14th day of February, 2025, at No.6, Sadiku Street, Agidingbi Street, Ogba, Lagos, at about 01:00pm hours in the Lagos magisterial district, did conspire together to commit felony to wit: Stealing and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 411 of the criminal laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.”
COUNT II:”That you, Christopher Omowaiye ‘m’ and others now at large, on or about 13th day of July, 2025 at same place at about 3pm hours in the Lagos magisterial district, did unlawfully alter, falsify sale records in your possession, property of FERTILIZ ENTERPRISES with an intent to steal and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 337(a) and (c) of the criminal law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.”
COUNT III:” That you, Christopher Omowaiye ‘m’ on or about the 12th day of June, 2025 at about 11am hours, same place in the aforementioned magisterial district, did steal the sum of N50,000,000.00 (Fifty Million Naira Only) being proceeds from sales of your company products, property of FERTILIZ ENTERPRISES and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 287 (7) of the criminal laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.”
However, he pleaded not guilty.
The prosecutor, Supol Josephine Ihkayere, then 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 adjourned for mention while the defendant was remanded in custody at the correctional center at Kirikiri town, Lagos, pending when he will perfect his bail conditions.