By Paul Iyoghojie
The Operatives of the Force Intelligence Bureau, FIB, Force Headquarters Annex, Lagos, Nigeria have arrested a Lebanese, Ahmad AL-Youssef, 65, and charged him before a Lagos Magistrate’s Court.
AL-Youssef was accused of duping a customer, Alhaji Mansur J. Musa of the sum of $173,450 equivalent to N120,000,000.
According to the police, the accused committed the act when he introduced himself to the complainant that he was a bureau de change agent.
The complainant was said to have believed him and gave him the sum of $173,450 equivalent to N120,000,000 to help him change it to Naira equivalent, but that the police said the accused betrayed the trust the complainant reposed in him and disappeared with the currency.
The complainant petitioned the Inspector General of Police, IGP who swiftly directed his crack team to fish out the suspect anywhere he might be hiding.
The police team swung into action and tracked the defendant to a hideout in Lagos and arrested him.
AL-Youssef was charged before the Tinubu Magistrate’s Court, Lagos Island on a three-count charge bordering on obtaining money under false pretence and stealing.
Police Counsel, Amedu Adoga told the Court in the charge marked P/38/2022 that the defendant committed the offence in September, 2022 in Lagos.
Adoga informed the court that the defendant collected the sum of $173,450 equivalent to N120,000,000 from the complainant on the pretext to help him change the dollars to Naira equivalent, but that the defendant instead converted the currency to his personal use and fled before he was arrested.
He said the offences, the defendant committed were punishable under sessions 411, 314(3) and 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2015.
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges in the court and the Presiding Chief Magistrate, Mr Abioye granted him N5m bail with two sureties in like sum.
Abioye adjourned the case till 24 January, 2023 for mention and ordered that the defendant be detained at the Ikoyi Correctional fFacility till he perfected the bail conditions.
