Warehouse keepers, marketer charged with N156m fraud

Two shopkeepers and a marketer, who allegedly defrauded a motorcycle company of N156million, were Thursday brought before an Igbosere Chief Magistrates Court in Lagos.

The defendants are: warehouse keepers Adebayo Gbadebo, 40, of 2, Kojumole Street, Opa, Ile-Ife, Osun State; Adebambo Aderemi, 36, of Prince Momoh Street, Igando, Lagos and marketer Kareem Lukman, 36, of Lagos Island.

They were arraigned by the Zone II Police Command before Chief Magistrate Afolashade Botoku on a four-count charge of conspiracy, stealing, fraud and forgery.

Prosecuting Sergeant Chinedu Njoku said the defendants and unknown accomplices committed the offences sometime between June 2017 and December 2018 at Akebono Industrial Co. Nigeria Ltd, Aba, Abia State.

He alleged that they stole 370 units of Daylong Motorcycles, 470 pieces of Daylong Motorcycles all valued at N80million, which were entrusted to them as store keepers and sales agent.

“Gbadebo Adebayo…fraudulently and unlawfully opened account numbers 2031998572 and 1015093186 domiciled at two banks with account name: Amaa Fran Nigeria Enterprises and used same to defraud Akebono Industrial Co. Ltd of the sum of N48million.

“The three defendants did forge or unlawfully duplicated a release order/instruction issued by the management of Akebono Industrial Co. Ltd and used same to steal 101 units of Daylong Motorcycles valued at N28million and sold same to one Ibrahim Aliyu at Kebbi State,” Njoku said.

According to the prosecutor, the offences infringed sections 280(9) (a&b), 285, 361, and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The defendants pleaded not guilty.

Chief Magistrate Botoku granted each defendant N2million bail with two sureties, among other conditions.

The case continues March 27.