Car Dealer Remanded In Prison Over alleged Fraud Of N13.3M In Osun

By Funmilayo Olusanya, Osogbo

A Chief Magistrate court sitting in Osogbo, the osun state capital,has ordered the remand of a 45-year-old car dealer, Akanbi Babatunde, for allegedly defrauding three of his customers a sum of N13.3 million under pretence in osun.

Babatunde,otherwise called a car dealer by his victim who was said to have been in this fraudulent activities in no time as he was accused to have committed different atrocity in disguise.

Appearing before the Court on Wednesday
on six count-charge bordering on fraud and theft,Police prosecutor, Inspector Elisha Olusegun accused the defendant of obtaining the sum of N4M from one Ogungbemi Oluwafemi under the pretence of assisting him to purchase a Toyota Camry car, 2011 model.

The defendant was accused to have falsely obtained the sum of N5.5M and a venza car worth N4M from one Ademola Musliyu under the pretence of helping him to sell the car but in turn no money was given to the owner.

Stressing further,he was alleged to have stolen the sum of N300,000 from one Folarin Adekunle in an akwaward manner which added up the alleged amount as N13.3 million in total.

Speaking before the court,the procecutor alleged that the defendant committed the offence between the month of March and August year 2022 around Osogbo in Osun State.

Olusegun,said the offences contravene section 383 and punishable under section 390(9) and 419 of the Criminal Code Cap 34 Vol. 11 Laws of Osun State of Nigeria, 2002,as it was contained in the Charge Sheet.

After much litigations,the defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the alleged charges.

Thereafter, the Defence counsel, K.S Abioye pleaded for the accused and urged the court to grant him bail,noting that he would make the defendant available as at when due.

But the prosecuting Counsel however, objected his bail plead,stating that the defendant might jump bail because it took the police some efforts before the accused person was apprehended using one of the victim as bait.

Saying the defendant had defrauded three other victims who were not part of the foregoing litigations and to whom had foregone the defendant to God judgement.

Whereas,Abioye in turn objected the prosecuting counsel, saying he is acting on speculations and therefore told the court to deprecate the objectives of the police and grant bail to the accused.

Checkmating both sides of the argument,
the presiding chief magistrate, Olusegun Ayilara, however ordered the defendant to be remanded in Ilesa correctional center and adjourned the case till August 24 for further hearings.