Single Mother In Trouble Over N450, 000 She Was Paid To Procure Visa Documents

MICHAEL AKINOLA 

A lady, Ocheme Christiana, had a nasty experience in Lagos State after she paid a single mother, Benedicta Njoku, the sum of N450,000 to enable her travel to FCT, Abuja and procure visa documents only to catch her at a pepper soup joint spending the money.

 

P.M.EXPRESS reports that the incident happened at Muniratu Street, Ipaja area of Lagos, where they reside.

 

Instead of procuring the visa documents as she had convinced the victim that she had the contact, she went to the joint and spent the money while claiming that she traveled to Abuja for the documents.

 

When the embittered Christiana initially saw Benedicta at the joint, she called her on the phone to know where she was. She told her that she was in Abuja to procure the visa documents as she had promised her.

 

However, Christiana appeared at the joint and confronted her to know why she was there but was lying that she was  in Abuja. She replied that the money she gave to her was for pepper soup and not to procure visa documents for her to travel abroad.

 

The matter was reported to the Police at Ipaja Division. The operatives moved into action, arrested Benedicta and detained her at the station for interrogation over the alleged fraud.

 

During interrogation, the Police asked her to refund the money but she told the Police that the victim met her where she spent the money at the joint and as such had no money to pay her.

 

She was charged before the Ejigbo Magistrate Court for the alleged offence under the Criminal Laws of the State.

 

She pleaded not guilty.

 

The prosecutor, Inspector Simeon Njue, then asked the Court to give a date for hearing since she pleaded not guilty to enable the Police to prove that she actually committed the alleged offence.

 

The Presiding Magistrate, Mrs. A.K. Dosumu-Uthman, granted her 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 verified by the Court.

 

The matter was adjourned till 26th June, 2024, for mention while the defendant was remanded in custody at the correctional center at Kirikiri town, Lagos, pending when she will perfect her bail conditions.