Police Arraign Man For Defrauding Company of N20m

By Felix Kuyinu

The Magistrates’ Court, Yaba has remanded one Erivona Yoma for allegedly defrauding a company of N20m under false pretence of purchase and supply of raw materials.

Police prosecutor, Rita Momoh told the court that the accused swindled an agricultural company, Pally Agro Nigeria Limited after agreeing in a business deal to purchase and later supply them planting materials and soya beans.

Momoh, at the Courthouse on Friday told Magistrate Adeola Olatunbosun that Yoma, 47, after receiving the sum sometime in 2021 failed to supply the goods nor remit the money back to the organization, hence, converting it for his personal use fled.

She said the offence committed was punishable under Section 411, 314(B) and 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria 2015.

The charges read, “That you, Erivona Great Yoma, and others at large, sometime in 2021 in Lagos State, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to wits obtaining money by false pretence, stealing and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 411 of the Criminal Code of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.

“That you, Erivona Great Yoma, and others at large, on the same date, time and place, in the aforementioned Magisterial District, did fraudulently obtain the total sum of twenty million naira, from one Pally Agro Nigeria Limited, to purchase planting materials and soya beans. A representation you know to be false and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 314 (8) of the Criminal Code Law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015.

“That you, Erivona Yoma, ‘m’ and others at large on the same date, time and place, in the aforementioned Magisterial District, did steal the total sum of twenty million naira from one Pally Agro Nig. Ltd. and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015.”

Magistrate Olatunbosun, following the defendant’s plea of not guilty to the charges preferred against him, granted him bail in the sum of N10m with three responsible sureties in like sum.

The Magistrate also ruled that one of the sureties must be a land owner in Lagos State. She added that the court must verify all sureties’ documents.

She adjourned the case till April 15, 2024 for mention.