A 30-year-old suspected fake Customs licensed agent, Kingsley Amaefule, has been arraigned before a Lagos Magistrate’s Court for allegedly defrauding one Mr. Hyacinth Onah of the sum of N49million.
Amaefule, it was gathered, forged Customs auction allocation papers with the claim that he was in charge of Customs auctioning at the Tin Can Island Port, Lagos, a claim the police said the accused knew to be false.
A police source said that the arrest of the accused was ordered by the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 2 Command, Lagos, Adamu Ibrahim, following a petition by Onah.
Amaefule, who is from Mbatoli Local Government Area of Imo State, was charged before an Igbosere Magistrate’s Court, Lagos, on a six-count charge of felony, obtaining money under false pretense, forgery, issuance of cheque and stealing.
Police prosecutor, Cyriacus Osuji, informed the court in charge number G/9/2018 that the accused committed the offence in 2015 at Tin Can Island Port, Apapa, Lagos.
Osuji told the court that the accused deceived the complainant that he was in charge of Customs auctioning at the Tin Can Port and collected the sum of N49million from him, claiming to sell Customs auction allocation papers to him and three containers containing plywood, spare parts and textiles.
He said that after the accused collected the N49million from the complainant, he failed to produce the Customs documents and the containers.
Osuji said that the accused also issued a Diamond Bank cheque valued at N1,100,000 dated January 27, 2015 to the complainant under the pretext of paying back the money by instalment to the complainant.
But when the complainant presented the cheque in the bank for payment, it was rejected on the ground that there was no fund in the account.
Osuji said that the offences the accused committed were punishable under sections 411,365(3)(1) ,314(1)(a)(b) 321(b) and 380(1) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
The prosecutor said, “The suspect committed the offence at the Tin Can Island Port. He faked himself as a Customs licensed agent and duped one Mr. Hyacinth Onah. He collected the sum of N49million from him to sell Customs auction allocation papers to him and three containers containing plywood, spare parts and textiles.
“And after collecting the money, he failed to provide the Custom documents and the containers to Mr. Onah, who is the complainant, till date.
“The accused offences were punishable under Sections 411,365(3)(1),314(1)(a)(b) 321(b) and 380(1) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.”
The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the alleged crime.
Chief Magistrate. W. B Balogun granted him bail in the sum of N1million with two sureties in like sum.
Balogun adjourned the case till March 13, 2018 for mention. The magistrate also ordered that the defendant be remanded in Ikoyi Prison, Lagos, till he fulfilled the bail conditions.
