Lagos court detains sales apprentice accused of stealing employer's N7m fraud

Michael Emenike, a 24-year-old sales apprentice, was detained by the police at the Area 'A' Command, Lion Building, Lagos Island, Lagos, Southwest, Nigeria. He was accused before a Lagos Magistrate's Court for allegedly conspiring with four others to defraud his company of the sum of N7,000,000.

The four other people accused of participating in the alleged fraud with Emenike were Bright Ndubuishi, 28, Kekereekun Nofisat, 28, Onyinyechi Nwankwo Mary, a POS Operator, 22, and Chinedu Obialor, 25.

The police claimed that Emenike committed fraud by reselling his employer's products and utilising the accounts of other defendants to redirect the revenues away from his employer's account.

The complainant, Eric Ikweze, allegedly discovered that his sales apprentice had sold N7 million worth of products and allegedly changed the money for his own use when he audited the merchandise in his business, according to the police.

The defendants were accused of conspiring and stealing on two counts in front of the Tinubu Magistrate's Court in Lagos Island.

In the charge with case number TB/33/2023, police prosecuting attorney Kingsley Jackson informed the court that the defendants had violated the law at No. 3, Idowu Street, Off Tinubu Square, Lagos Island, Lagos between the months of January 2021 and June 2, 2023.

Jackson told the court that Emenike conspired with others to steal N7 million from his company and distributed the money to them.

He asserted that Sections 412 and 287 of the Lagos State Criminal Laws, 2015, provided for punishment for the offences the defendants committed.

However, the defendants entered a plea of not guilty to the accusations, and their attorney, Anayo Agbo, begged the court to offer the defendants the most lenient bail conditions possible, adamant that they would not skip bail if it were granted.

The defendants were given bail in the amount of N1 million each, with two sureties in the same amount, and the case was continued for mention to July 26th, 2023 by Magistrate A. A. Paul.

Paul further ordered that the suspects be held at the Kirikiri and Ikoyi Correctional Facilities until the bail requirements were satisfied.

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