MICHAEL AKINOLA
A 58-year old man, Anthony Udeze, has allegedly swindled a man, Ifeanyi Iro, who wanted to take advantage of his condition to buy his Toyota Camry car for paltry sum of N920,000.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the suspect, Udeze, collected the money but did not release the car to him. The market value of the car was said to be over N3m and he did not refund the money to the complainant.
The incident happened at Ijegun area of Lagos.
When the complainant waited for the owner to release the car to no avail, he went to the Police at Isheri Oshun Division and reported that the suspect obtained the money under false pretence.
Thus, the Police moved into action, arrested the suspect and detained him at the station for interrogation over his alleged conduct against the complainant.
During interrogation, the suspect told the Police that he had spent the money and had no car to sell to him because he had already sold the car in question.
The Police found him culpable and consequently charged him before the Ejigbo Magistrate Court for the alleged conduct likely to cause breach of public peace and obtaining under false pretence.
The charges read:
“That you, Anthony Udeze, ‘M’, on the 19th of March 2025 at Ijegun, in the Lagos magisterial district, did conduct yourself in a way and manner likely to cause a breach of the peace by obtaining money under false pretence from one Ifeanyi Iro, ‘M’, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 168 (d) criminal law of Lagos state of Nigeria 2015.”
COUNT II:” That you, Anthony Udeze, ‘M’, on the same date, time and place, at the aforementioned magisterial district, did fraudulently obtain the sum of N920, 000.00 (nine hundred and twenty thousand Naira) from one Ifeanyi Iro, ‘M’, under the false pretense of selling a black coloured Toyota Camry 1999 model, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 314 criminal law of Lagos Nigeria 2015.”
COUNT III:” That you, Anthony Udeze, ‘M’, on the same date, time and place, at the aforementioned magisterial district, did dishonestly steal the sum of N920, 000.00 (nine hundred and twenty thousand Naira) from one Ifeanyi Iro, ‘M’, under the pretense of selling a Toyota Camry 1999 model black colour, which you criminally converted the money to your own personal use and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 287 of the criminal law of Lagos Nigeria 2015.”
However, he pleaded not guilty.
The prosecutor, Supol Benedict Aigbokhan, 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, Mrs. A.K. Dosumu-Uthman, granted him bail in the sum of N200,000 with two sureties in like sum, who must show evidence of means of livelihood and tax payment while addresses will be verified by the Court.
The matter was adjourned till 5th May, 2025, 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.