Woman in court over alleged N900,000 fraud

A 48-year-old woman, Janet Gimba, on Wednesday was arraigned before a Kaduna Chief Magistrates Court for alleged N900, 000 fraud.

The police charged Gimba with two counts of criminal breach of trust and cheating.

The Prosecution counsel, Insp. Chidi Leo, told the court that the complainant, Blessing Timothy, reported the case at the Barnawa Police Station, Kaduna, on Dec. 27, 2022.

Leo alleged that sometime in September 2022, Gimba sold a one bedroom flat to the complainant under the false pretence while she sold the same house to James Williams sometime in June 2022.

He said that the defendant dubiously collected N900, 000 from the complainant for the same house she sold to Williams and criminally converted the money to her personal use.

The prosecutor told the court that Gimba intentionally and dishonestly refused to hand over the house to the complainant.

He said all efforts made to collect the said property from him or the money proved abortive.

The offence, she said, contravened the provisions of sections 224 and 217 of the Kaduna State Penal Code, 2017.

The Magistrate, Ibrahim Emmanuel, admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N200, 000, with one reliable surety in like sum.

Emmanuel ordered that the surety must reside within the court’s jurisdiction and adjourned the case until Feb. 12 for trial.