MICHAEL AKINOLA
Two men, Usman Garuba, 28 and Sagir Shuaib, 30, parading themselves as Bureau De Change operators, have been arrested and charged for allegedly swindling a victim, Ali Kelvin, to the tune of over N16m under false pretence of exchanging foreign currency at the airport in Lagos State.
P.M.EXPRESS reports that the incident happened at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos where the suspects accosted the victim, Kelvin.
According to the Police, the suspects pretended to be Bureau De Change operators at the airport and obtained 90,000 Chinese RMB to change to its Naira equivalent. However, after they obtained the money, they bolted away and did not return any money to the complainant.
The matter was reported to the Police at the Airport Division. The Police operatives moved into action, eventually arrested the suspects and detained them at the station for interrogation over their alleged conduct.
While being interrogated, the suspects admitted to have collected the money but have spent it, as such had no money to refund the complainant.
The Police found them culpable and consequently charged them before the Ogba Magistrate Court for the alleged offence, which attracts several years of imprisonment.
The charges read:
COUNT 1: “That you, Usman Garuba Shehu ‘m’, Sagir Shuaib ‘m’ and two others still at large, on the 26th day of March, 2025, at about 1700hrs, at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, in the Ikeja Magisterial District, did conspire together to commit felony to-wit Obtaining Money by false pretence and stealing and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 325 (1) of the Criminal laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.”
COUNT 2:”That you, Usman Garuba Shehu ‘m’, Sagir Shuaib ‘m’ and two others still at large, on the same date, time and place, in the aforementioned Magisterial District, did fraudulently obtain the sum of Ninety Thousand Chinese RMB (90,000 RMB) equivalent to Sixteen Million, Six Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N16,650,000.00) under the pretense of exchanging the RMB to Nigerian Naira for Mr. Ali Kelvin, which you fail to deliver thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 314 (a) (b) and punishable under Section 314 (3) of the criminal laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.”
COUNT 3:”That you, Usman Garuba Shehu ‘m’, Sagir Shuaib ‘m’ and two others still at large, on the same date, time and place, in the aforesaid Magisterial District, did steal the sum of Ninety Thousand Chinese RMB (90,000 RMB) equivalent to Sixteen Million, Six Hundred and fifty thousand Naira (N16,650,000.00), property of Ali Kelvin ‘m’ and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 280 (1) (a) (b) and punishable under Section 287 of the criminal laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.”
However, they pleaded not guilty.
The prosecutor, Inspector Adeitan Oluwabunmi, asked the Court to give a date for hearing since they pleaded not guilty to enable the Police to prove that they actually committed the alleged offence.
The Presiding Magistrate, M.A. Agbaje, granted them bail with sureties, who must show evidence of means of livelihood and tax payment while addresses will be verified by the Court.
The matter was adjourned for mention while the defendants were remanded in custody at the correctional center at Kirikiri town, Lagos, pending when they will perfect their bail conditions.
