A Lagos Magistrates Court sitting in Yaba, Lagos, has ordered that an alleged fake fertiliser supplier, Murtala Malami Gombe, be remanded in custody for stealing N20. 915 million.
 
The Chief Magistrate, Lydia Y. Balogun, ordered Gombe be remanded after he was arraigned to the court by the Policemen from the Criminal Investigation Department (ForceCID) Annex, Alagbon-Ikoyi, Lagos, on the alleged offence. 
 
The prosecutor, Mr. Morufu Animashaun, told court that the defendant committed the offences sometime in March 2021, at Apapa, Lagos. Animashaun said the defendant approached his victim, Alhaji Rabiu Mahuta, claiming to be working with an international company, Stallion Group of Companies, and that the company had a large quantity of fertilisers to sell at the price of N20. 915 million.
  
Animashaun told the court that the defendant, after collecting the money through his bank account, disappeared into thin air and failed to supply the fertiliser as promised and also failed to refund the money.
  
The prosecutor told the court that it took the police extra effort, before the defendant was arrested, as he was tracked down at his hideout in Gombe State.
He told the court that his offences contravened sections 312 and 285(5) of the Criminal Law Ch.C17, Vol .3, Laws of Lagos State 2015. 
  
Following his not guilty plea, the prosecutor asked the court for trial date, and urged the court to remand the defendant till the determination of the offences against him.
  
In his response, the defendant’s counsel pleaded with the court to grant him bail in the most liberal terms. He said that his client is a first time offender and that the offences against him are available.
  
Ruling on the bail application, Magistrate Balogun, granted him bail in the sum of N3 million with two sureties in like sum. The magistrate ordered that the sureties must not be civil servants, and that they must have evidence of tax payment to Lagos State for three years, adding that the prosecution must do the verification of the bail terms.
 
The court further ordered that the defendant be remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS) till the perfection of the bail condition and adjourned the matter to May 19, for mention.