Landlady allegedly dupes 109 prospective tenants of N14m

LAGOS NIGERIA— A 34-year-old landlady, Taibat Aruna,
has been arraigned before a Lagos Magistrate’s
Court sitting in Ikeja for allegedly obtaining N14
million by false pretence from 109 prospective
tenants.
The defendant, who resides at Ojo area of
Lagos State, is facing a thirty-count charge
bordering on conspiracy, obtaining, false
pretense and stealing preferred against her by
the police.
The defendant, standing trial before Magistrate
Margaret Dan-Oni, committed the alleged
offences between June 5 and August 28 this
year.
The police prosecutor, Inspector Edet Okoi, said
that the defendant stole the money from her
victims with a promise to give them a self-
contain accommodation located at Ojo area of
Lagos, which she knew was false.
Some of the people the defendant defrauded are
Chinedu Emmanuel, N132,000; Happiness
Etumni, N240,000; Casmir Ezenwa, N230,000,
and Adeniyi Bamilosin, N175, 000.
Others are Agbudom Obum, N440,000; Nnaji
Chinedu, N230,000; Olanrewaju Saheed, N215,
among others.
Okoi said that the defendant and others at large
stole the said sum belonging to one Chinedu
Emmanuel and 108 others.
According to the prosecutor, the offence
committed is contrary to section 409 and
punishable under section 312 (1) (a) (b),312
(3) and 275 (1) (a) (b) of the criminal laws of
Lagos State of Nigeria, 2011.
However, when the charge was read to the
defendant, she pleaded not guilty to the
charges.
Magistrate Dan-Oni granted the defendant bail
in the sum of N2 million with two responsible
sureties in like sum, one of the sureties must be
a community leader, or a pastor.
She adjourned the matter to November 11 for
mention.
Meanwhile, the defendant was remanded in
Kirikiri female prison, pending when she is able
to perfect her bails conditions.