A 30-year-old man, Emmanuel Okoligwe, and his mother, Uche Okoligwe, were on Tuesday arraigned in Lagos for alleged N19.2 million land fraud.
The defendants are facing a three-count charge before an Ojo Magistrates’ Court.
They, however, pleaded not guilty to the counts of obtaining money by false pretences, illegal conversion and stealing.
According to the prosecutor, Dr Simon Uche, the defendants and others at large, committed the offences from June 2022 to February 2023.
He alleged that the defendants obtained the sum from the complainant, Mr Ikechukwu Nnabugwu, on the pretext of selling 15 acres of land to him.
”They collected the money, pretending to have land for sale at Ashipa in Ogun State.
”The representation is false, they never sold any land to him, they converted the money to their personal use,” he said.
The prosecutor said that the offences contravened Sections 287, 314 and 325 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The Magistrate, Mr L.J.k. Layeni, granted the defendants bail in the sum of one million Naira each, with two sureties in like sum
He adjourned the case until April 12 for trial.