Court remands lawyer over N3m fraud

Adebisi OnanugaAN Ebute-Metta Chief Magistrates Court, on Tuesday remanded a lawyer, Eric Igwe Okolo, in the custody of Nigeria Correctional Services (NCS), over alleged N3 million fraud.Chief Magistrate Mrs. A. O. Adedayo ordered Okolo the remanded after he pleaded not guilty to a four-counts charge of obtaining under false pretence and stealing.Okolo was arraigned before the court on the alleged offences by the men of State Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department (SCIID) Panti, Yaba, Lagos.Prosecuting Insp. Chinalu Uwadione, alleged that the lawyer who resides at Wole Boy Street Ajangbadi, committed the alleged offences on December 24, 2008.Chinalu told the court that the defendant on December 24, 2008, obtained the sum of N1 million from one Emeka Obiajulu on behalf of Chief Azubuike Ekwerekwu, under false pretence while claiming he collected the money on the mandate of one Chinedu Onwumele.Read Also:Court okays IGPs recruitmentChinalu told the court that the lawyer also on January 15, 2009, collected the sum of N2 million, from one Christopher Iloabanafo, on behalf of Chief Azubuike Ekwerekwu, under false pretence.The defendant, he said also claimed to have collected the money on the mandate of one Chinedu Onwumele.The defendant pleaded not guilty.Chief Magistrate Adedayo granted him bail in the sum of N1 million with two sureties in like sum.She ordered that the lawyer be remanded in Nigeria Correctional Services (NCS) Ikoyi pending the perfection of the bail conditions.The case continues on January 21.
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