Maureen Emeka, 45, on Tuesday appeared at a Lugbe Grade 1 Area Court, Abuja, accused of defrauding a man of $67,500 (N23.6 million) on the pretext of selling to him a Ford Explorer SUV and Mercedes Benz bus.
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Emeka, a resident of Ezike-oba in Enugu State, is facing trial on five counts of criminal conspiracy, breach of trust, cheating, misappropriation of money and intimidation.
The Prosecution Counsel, Francis Gabriel told the court that the defendant committed the offences sometimes in 2018.
He alleged that the complainant, Benjamin Ngoka of No. 12, Agadez Street Wuse II, Abuja, reported the matter to the IGP Monitoring Unit, Force Headquarters, Abuja, through a formal petition in June 2019.
Gabriel alleged that the defendant conspired with others, currently at large, and deceived the complainant and collected $67, 500 under false pretenses.
According to the prosecutor, the defendant falsely presented herself to be in a position to deliver to the complainant a Ford Explorer SUV 2014 model and a Mercedes Benze School bus on or before October 2018.
Gabriel said that on the premise that the defendant could deliver the vehicles to him, the complainant, Ngoka, transferred $67, 500 into Emeka’s Diamond/Access bank account number 3011984315.
“However, Emeka failed to deliver the said vehicles,’’ the prosecutor said.
Gabriel said that when the matter was reported to the police, Emeka was invited and admitted to collecting the said amount from Ngoka.
The prosecutor said that the defendant was granted administrative bail at the police station, but she jumped bail and absconded since Aug. 5, 2019.
Gabriel told the court that the defendant was re-arrested on Aug. 19 and every effort made to get the said money had failed.
The offence, he said, contravened the provisions of Sections 97, 312, 322, 308 and 397 of the Penal Code Law.
However, the defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The judge, Malam Abubakar Sadiq, admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N20 million with one reasonable surety in like sum.
Sadiq said the surety must submit to the court a Certificate of Occupancy of a land title in the FCT.
He adjourned the case until Oct. 7 for hearing.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that Emeka could not meet the terms of her bail and was therefore taken to the Suleja Correctional Facility.
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