By Felix Kuyinu
The Maritime Police Command in Lagos has made arrest of a self-acclaimed Customs agent for defrauding two clients under false pretences.
The suspect, Boniface Chimezie, was arraigned by the Command at the Tinubu Magistrates’ Court in Lagos.
Chimezie, 40, was said to have obtained the sum of N17,250,000 from the complainants, Raimi Oliya and Emmanuel Umeh, to supply them 15 export containers.
Police Counsel, Ben Ekundayo, told the court sitting that the defendant knew his presentation was false. He failed to deliver the container as promised, converted the money for his use and went AWOL.
Ekundayo further submitted that following the development, the complainants petitioned the Inspector General of Police, IGP, about the matter leading to the defendant’s arrest at a hideout in Lagos.
The Command disclosed in a charge marked R/21/2024 that Chimezie, who commited the act on April 12, 2024 at Apapa, Lagos, was charged before the court on three count charges bordering on forgery, obtaining money by false pretence and stealing.
Ekundayo said, “The defendant forged some Customs and Exercise allocations documents for direct auction sales of 18 export containers and used the documents to deceive the complainants that he was a Customs agent and that he had 15 export containers to sell for them for the sum of N17,250,000.
“The complainants believed him and gave him the money to supply the containers but the defendant failed to supply the containers and instead converted the money to his personal use and took flight before he was arrested through intelligence gathering and tracking.
“The offences the defendant committed are punishable under Sections 411, 314 (3) and 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.”
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Magistrate Kemi Awoyinka granted him N5m bail with two sureties in like sum.
Awoyinka directed that the sureties must deposit the sum of N5m each in the account of the registrar of the Lagos State High Court. Furthermore, he ordered that the defendant should be remanded at the Correctional Facility in Ikoyi pending the perfection of the bail conditions.
The Magistate adjourned the case till June 4, 2024.
