A 38-year-old woman, Bukola Otuka, was on Friday brought before a Yaba Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos State for allegedly defrauding her employer of N19.4million .
Otuka, who resides in Ebute-Meta area of Lagos State , is facing a five-count charge bordering on conspiracy, stealing and obtaining by false pretences.
She, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The prosecutor, ASP Roman Unuigbe, told the court that the defendant committed the offences in May at Capital boost Ltd., No. 62, Enitan St., Aguda, Lagos.
Unuigbe said that the dafendant failed to remit the sum of N19.4million she collected from customers to the finance company.
Unuigbe said that the defendant had also collected money from the company’s customers as loan repayments, but did not remit them into the company’s account.
“The defendant has stolen a total sum of N19.4million from both the company and its customers, ” the prosecutor said.
He said that the offences contravened Sections 287 (7), 314 (1) and 411 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Section 287 (7) stipulates seven years’ imprisonment for stealing from one’s employer, while 314 (1) provides 15 years imprisonment for fraud.
The chief magistrate, Mr P.A. Ojo, admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum.
Ojo ordered that one of the sureties must be a blood relation of the defendant , who must be residing within the court’s jurisdiction.
He added that both sureties should be gainfully employed with evidence of three years’ tax payment to the Lagos State Government.
Ojo adjourned the case until Jan. 24, 2020, for mention.
(NAN)
