A 49-year-old man, Joseph Edward, was on Wednesday brought before an Ejigbo Magistrates’ Court in Lagos State for allegedly obtaining the sum of N18.3 million from 30 different people to obtain visas for them.
Edward, whose residential address was not given, is standing trial on a two-count charge of fraud and stealing.
The charges were preferred against him by the police.
The prosecutor, ASP Benedict Aigbokhan, told the court that the defendant committed the offences on August 10, 2021 and sometime in November 2022, at 10/11, Abbey Plaza, Igando, Lagos.
He said that the defendant fraudulently obtained a total sum of N18.3 million from one Parkers Zander and 29 other people under the guise of procuring visas to Spain and United Arab Emirates.
Aigbokhan said that the defendant also promised the complainants that he would use the money to purchase flight tickets for them but failed to do so.
He said that some of the people the defendant obtained money from, included, Zander who gave him N3.7 million, and Kabiru Sani who parted with N1.6 million.
He added: “The defendant also obtained the sum of N1.9 million from Chigozie Ojiaku, N660,000 from Abiodun Oluwasegun and N2.5 million from George Will.
According to him, the defendant converted the said money to his own use.
He said that the offences contravened Sections 287 and 314 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The defendant denied the charge.
The Magistrate, K. A. Ariyo, granted him bail in the sum of N2 million with two…
