By Abiodun Bolujoko
A magistrate court sitting in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, yesterday, remanded a middle-aged man, Lukman Afolabi for defrauding one Yakubu Murain to the tune of N23million.
The accused person was dragged before Magistrate Esther Abu for criminal conspiracy, impersonating, obtaining money under false pretence contrary to sections 97,179 of Penal Code of Section 1 (3) of Advance fee fraud and other related offences Act 2006.
According to the Police First Information Report (FIR), the complainant who resides at Seyon House, Agbamathen Badagry; Lagos State through a petition to the commissioner of police reported that sometimes in 2015, he met the accused on social network; Facebook.
The police report further noted that the accused told him that he was an Islamic cleric in Ilorin with the name Sheikh Ahmed Labeeb.
In the course of their several conversations through social media and phone calls, the accused in connivance with other suspects at large allegedly duped him N23million with the pretence of connecting him to some well-meaning Nigerians whom he claimed will award him some contracts, the FIR revealed.
During the course of police investigation, the FIR disclosed that it was one Luqman Dayo Afolabi of Lobalude, Tanke road, Ilorin that disguised as an Islamic Scholar on the face book and defrauded the complainant.
It further revealed that the accused used his personal accounts No: 3190753016 at First City Monument Bank (FCMB) and 0048082005 Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB).
The prosecutor, Sergeant Oderinde Abideen, however prayed the court to remand the accused in prison pending the completion of the police investigation on the matter.
In his short ruling, Magistrate Abu ordered the remand of the accused, while the case was adjourned to 4th September, 2018.
