Mother And Daughter Arraigned In Ogba Court For Allegedly Defrauding Man Of N10m

Okorie Blessing ‘F’ aged 68 years and Okorie Halima ‘F’ aged 37 years were brought before Magistrate Mr L.A. Owolabi on a five-count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretence and stealing, contrary to the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2015.

Prosecutor SP Josephine Ikhayere told the Magistrate Court sitting in Ogba that Okorie Blessing and Okorie Halima committed the offences in the months of August, 2023 and September, 2023 at Shasha, Lagos, within the Ikeja Magisterial District.

According to the charge sheet marked Charge No. MUDDS/…2026 – Commissioner of Police Vs Okorie Blessing and Okorie Halima, prepared by the State Intelligence Department, SID, State Headquarters, Ikeja, the defendants in count one allegedly conspired among themselves to commit felony to wit, stealing and obtaining by false pretence and thereby committed an offence under Section 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2015.

Count two alleged that Okorie Blessing on same date, time and place did deliberately and fraudulently obtain Six Thousand, Five Hundred and Fifty Euro, €6,550.00 equivalent to Ten Million, Eighteen Thousand, Two Hundred and Twenty Five Naira, N10,018,225.00 from one Jehu Gad under false pretence to procure a Czech Republic Visa for him, which she knew she cannot do and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 314.

Count three alleged that Okorie Halima on same date, time and place did deliberately and fraudulently obtain the same sum of €6,550.00 equivalent to N10,018,225.00 from Jehu Gad under false pretence to procure Czech Republic Visa for him which she knew to be false and had no capacity to do so and thereby committed offence punishable under Section 314.

Count four stated that Okorie Blessing did dishonestly steal €6,550.00 equivalent to N10,018,225.00, property of Jehu Gad and thereby committed offence punishable under Section 287. Count five stated that Okorie Halima did dishonestly steal same sum of €6,550.00 equivalent to N10,018,225.00 property of Jehu Gad and thereby committed offence punishable under Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2015.

SP Josephine Ikhayere told the court that complainant Jehu Gad reported that in August and September 2023, the mother and daughter operating as travel agents at Shasha collected €6,550.00 from him to procure Czech Republic work visa within weeks but failed to deliver visa or refund money, after which he petitioned SID Ikeja leading to their arrest.

When the charge was read to Okorie Blessing and Okorie Halima before Mr L.A. Owolabi, they pleaded *not guilty* to all five counts.

Magistrate Mr L.A. Owolabi granted them bail with sureties who must show evidence of means of livelihood and tax payment.

Mr L.A. Owolabi ordered that each surety must be a responsible citizen with verifiable address within Lagos State, must present evidence of means of livelihood and evidence of tax payment to the Lagos State Government, and must produce valid means of identification.

Pending the perfection of their bail conditions, Magistrate Mr L.A. Owolabi ordered that Okorie Blessing and Okorie Halima be remanded in the Correctional Centre at Kirikiri Town, Lagos, pending the perfection of bail conditions.

The court emphasized that the defendants, Okorie Blessing and Okorie Halima, are presumed innocent until proven guilty by the court of competent jurisdiction as guaranteed under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.

The matter was adjourned for mention and trial at Ogba.

If found guilty under Section 314 and Section 287, they are liable to imprisonment as prescribed by law.