Three Men Arraigned For Defrauding Chinese Woman

Three men have been arraigned before an Ebute Meta Chief Magistrate’s Court for allegedly defrauding a Chinese woman of N25m.

The police told the court on Tuesday that the men -Emmanuel Nwachukwu, 28, Eke Emenike, 45, and Julius Uche, 43 – perpetrated the fraud on August 5, 2013.

It was learnt that their vicitim, Mrs Lynda Xing Xu, had come to the country in search of chemicals used in producing tiles.The defendants allegedly offered to help and were paid the sum to make the supplies.

They were said to have absconded with the money afterwards.

Xu was said to have reported the matter to the police.

The trio were traced and arrested.

The police arraigned them on two counts of fraud and obtaining under false pretence.

The charges read in part, “That you,  Emmanuel Nwachukwu, Eke Emenike, Julius Uche, and others now at large, on the 5th day of August, 2013 at Rock View Hotel, Apapa in the Lagos Magisterial District, with intent to defraud did obtain the sum of N25,000,000 (Twenty-five Million Naira) only from one Mrs. Lynda Xing Xu, in the pretence that you were going to supply her with chemicals used in producing tiles, the representation you knew to be false.”

The prosecutor, Etim Ekankuk, said the offences were punishable under Sections 409 and 312(3) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011.

The defendants pleaded not guilty and elected summary trial.

The defence counsel, Spurgeon Ataene, applied for their bail in liberal terms.

Ekankuk however said the men did not have any known place of address, warning that the court should exercise caution in admitting them to bail.

The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Demi Ajayi, observed that since the offence was bailable, it would be wrong not to grant them bail.

She said, “They are admitted to bail in the sum of N1 million with two sureties each in like sum. The sureties must be gainfully employed, resident in Lagos, above 40 years of age, and with affidavit of means. One of them must be a blood relation and their addresses must be verified.”

The matter was adjourned till December 4.

SAMSON FOLARIN