‘Fake’ car dealer charged with theft

The trial of a 30-year-old businessman, Temitope Titus Olarinde, began on Monday before an Igbosere, Lagos, chief magistrate court where he was charged for allegedly stealing N4.9 million.

Olarinde was alleged to have conspired with some other persons still at large on April 30, 2020 at about 12 noon at Surulere to commit a computer-related fraud by obtaining money under false pretence and stealing.

Police prosecutor, Inspector Solomon Mawari, alleged that Olarinde accessed the internet and displayed two unregistered vehicles, a 2007 model Lexus RX 350 and a 2004 model Lexus RX 330, for sale “knowing fully that it was false and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 14 of the Cyber Crime Act 2015.”

It was also alleged that the defendant obtained the sum of N4.9m from Sodiq Wahaab Omokayode through a bank account number 22819867 with the name Olarinde Temitope Titus under the pretext he had two unregistered vehicles to sell “knowing this full well to be false.”

Olarinde pleaded not guilty before Magistrate (Mrs) A. T. Omoyele and was admitted to bail in the sum of N500,000, with two sureties. Mrs Omoyele adjourned the case till October 5, 2020 for trial.