A 22-year-old car painter, Taiye Obakoya, who allegedly stole N150,000 out of the N1 million mistakenly transferred to his bank account by a customer, appeared before a Lagos Magistrate’s Court sitting at Igbosere, yesterday.
Obakoya, who resides on Awolowo Street, Oworosoki, Lagos, was arraigned before Magistrate J. O. Adepoju.
The defendant is standing trial on a count charge of theft.
According to the prosecutor, Nicholas Akpene, on October 20, at 10:30a.m., the complainant, one Mr. Dada Emmanuel, intending to pay money into his wife’s bank account, did a mobile phone money transfer of N1 million from his bank account to the Guaranty Trust Bank account of his car painter, Obakoya.
Akpene said: “After discovering the error, he phoned Obakoya and pleaded with him not to tamper with the money, but the defendant told him that no such amount was credited to his account.
“The next morning, the defendant refused to pick his calls and when the complainant checked on him at home and at his workshop under the bridge at Obalende, Obakoya was nowhere to be found.
“The complainant then reported the matter to GTB Bank, which placed a restriction on Obakoya’s account after confirming that the N1 million was successfully transferred to it and that he had already withdrawn N150,000 from it.”
The prosecutor explained that the offence committed was punishable under Section 285 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
However, Obakoya pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Magistrate Adepoju granted him bail in the sum of N50,000, with two sureties in like sum and adjourned the case till November 15 for mention.
