Police operatives from the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID)Panti, Yaba, Lagos, have arraigned two men, Uwen Gentle and Segun Mike, before the Lagos Federal High Court, over alleged N200 million fraud.
The two alleged fraudsters, according to the police, committed the fraud under false pretence of having 20, 000 metric tonnes of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) popularly called diesel.
Police through its lawyer, Joseph Eboseremen, told the court presided over by Justice Daniel Osiagor, that the two men and others now at large, conspired among themselves to commit the offences in June this year.
He told the court that the two men allegedly defrauded one Alhaji Yakubu Aminu, Chief Executive Officer of MMB Petroleum & Chemical Limited, of the mentioned sum, with the false claims that they have the petroleum product for sale.
He told the court that after the said Alhaji Aminu, had paid the money, the two men and others failed and refused to gave out the petroleum product. Adding that it take the Police operatives tough task before the defendants, could be apprehended and charged to court.
He told the court that the offences committed by the two defendants, contravened Sections 8 (4) and 1 (1)(a) (c) of the Advance Fees Fraud And Other Fraud Related Offences and punishable under section 1 (3) of the same Act.
The two defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Following their not guilty plea, their lawyers, orally applied for their bail, but the presiding judge, Justice Osiagor, asked the lawyers to file necessary application.
Consequently, the judge ordered that the two defendants be remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS), till Friday, October 28, when arguments would be taken on their bail application.
