Blind man, woman charged with defrauding accommodation seeker of N550,000

A visually-impaired man, Sule Akinyemi, and a woman, Olajumoke Awosika,
were yesterday charged with defrauding an accommodation seeker of N550,
000 at a Surulere Magistrates' Court, Lagos.
The accused , Akinyemi, 62, and Awosika, 51, are facing a four-count charge of
conspiracy, stealing, use of residence for obtaining by false pretence and
obtaining money under false pretences.
The duo pleaded not guilty.
But the prosecutor, Sgt. Jimah Iseghede, told the court that the accused with
others still at large, committed the offences at No.1, Dipo Olubi St., Surulere -
Aguda in Lagos.
He said the accused collected N550, 000 on the pretext of letting a mini-flat to
the complainant as the owner of the property.
"Akinyemi pretended to be the owner of a mini-flat and collected the sum of
N550, 000 from the complainant, Mr Ayodele Ayedun, with a promise to rent
out the mini-flat to him.
"Awosika brought Ayedun to the blindman to make payment, and he was
caught while making a transaction at the bank,'' the prosecutor said.
Iseghede said the virtually-impaired man had been brought to the court
several times for the same offence.
The offences, he noted, contravened Sections 285, 312 (a&b), 315 and 409 of
the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
Ruling on the bail application of the accused, the Chief Magistrate, Mrs A.F.
Adeeyo, granted them bail in the sum of N100, 000 each with one surety each.
She said each surety should provide evidence of tax payment, while their
addresses should also be verified.
The magistrate adjourned the case to August.6 for mention.