Two men, Danladi Lawal and Lawan Salihu Auwal, have been arraigned before a Lagos Magistrate’s Court over the alleged fraud of N63.7 million involving a purported shipping container sale.

The defendants were docked on a three-count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining money by false pretence and stealing. The offences were allegedly committed in October 2025 at Daramola Street, Tin Can Port, Lagos.

The prosecuting counsel, Mr. Morufu Ajani Animashaun, a legal officer with the Force Criminal Investigation Department (ForceCID) Annex, Alagbon, Ikoyi, told the court that the defendants conspired to defraud one Hussein Yunisa Dauda under the guise of selling 20-foot and 40-foot loaded shipping containers.

According to the prosecutor, the complainant transferred N63.7 million to the defendants in the belief that he was purchasing the containers.

Animashaun, however, told the court that the containers did not exist, alleging that the transaction was a fraudulent scheme designed to deceive the complainant.

He said the alleged offences contravene Sections 411, 314(1)(a) and 280(1)(b) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015, and are punishable under Section 287 of the same law.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Following their plea, the prosecutor urged the court to remand them pending the determination of the case.

Defence counsel, A. O. Oyeleke, informed the court that a bail application had already been filed and served on the prosecution. He urged the court to admit his clients to bail on liberal terms, noting that the alleged offences are bailable.

In his ruling, Chief Magistrate A. A. Adesanya granted each defendant bail in the sum of N10 million with two sureties in like sum.
The court directed that each surety must provide evidence of three years’ tax payment, proof of means of livelihood and utility bills, among other conditions.

The case was adjourned until July 24, 2026, for mention.

According to the charge, the defendants allegedly conspired to obtain N63.7 million from the complainant by falsely representing that they had 20-foot and 40-foot loaded shipping containers for sale, a representation the prosecution said they knew to be false.