A 38-year old man, Kennedy Isuama, has been arrested and charged in Lagos State for allegedly swindling one Augustine Ogeleke to the tune of N1.6m under the false pretence of securing a Canadian visa.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the incident happened in April 2024, at Fatusi Street, Ejigbo, Lagos.
The suspect, Kennedy, neither refunded the money nor procured the visa as he had promised. He rather went into hiding and disconnected every communication he had with the complainant.
The matter was reported to the Police at Ejigbo Division. The Police operatives moved into action, eventually arrested the suspect and detained him at the station for interrogation over his alleged conduct.
During interrogation, the suspect admitted to have collected the money but had spent it in the process of the procurement of the visa though he had not succeeded in getting the visa.
The Police found him culpable for the alleged offence and charged him before the Ejigbo Magistrate Court for the alleged offence, which attracts several years of imprisonment.
The charges read:
“That you, Kennedy Isuama, sometime in the month of April 2024, at No. 20, Fatusi Street, Ejigbo, Lagos State, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did obtain the sum of One Million Six Hundred Thousand Naira (N1,600,000.00), from one Augustine Ogeleke ‘m’ under the false pretence of securing a Canadian Visa for his wife, knowing same to be false and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 314 (2) of the criminal law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015.”
COUNT II: “That you Kennedy Isuama on the same date, time and place, in the aforesaid Magisterial District, did steal the sum of One Million Six Hundred Thousand Naira (N1,600,000.00), belonging to one Augustine Ogeleke ‘m’ and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 287 of the criminal law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015.”
The defendant pleaded not guilty.
The prosecutor, Inspector Simeon Njue, 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, T.A. Popoola, granted him bail in the sum of N500,000 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 16th 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.