A 68-year-old businessman, Nelson Gwede, on Monday appeared before a Wuse Zone 2, Abuja Magistrates’ Court charged with defrauding one Agwu Ogbonna of the sum of N115 million.


 Ngwede, a resident of Chika, Airport Road, Abuja, is facing a two-count charge bordering on criminal breach of trust and cheating.


 The two crimes contravene the provisions of sections 312 and 322 of the Penal Code, according to the prosecutor, Edwin Inegbenoise.


Inegbenoise told the court that the defendant, sometimes in March, introduced himself to the complainant as a “financial facilitator”.


“The defendant convinced the complainant that he was going to introduce him to a facility through which he would get liquid cash.


“The defendant provided an account number 4011441873 owned by OCHKWO HANDRAIL NIGERIA LTD domiciled in Fidelity Bank into which the sum of N100,000,000 was paid by  the complainant.


“The defendant also provided another account number carrying his name, Nelson Gwede, with number 3039016860, domiciled in First Bank.


“An additional N15 million was paid into this account in exchange for liquid cash.


“The defendant collected the money through the above mentioned accounts but refused to give the cash equivalent to the complainant as agreed,” he said.


The prosecutor added that the defendant’s actions had affected the complainant and prevented him from carrying out his business transactions.


Inegbenoise said that the defendant, during police investigation, mentioned that one Mr ThankGod, now at large, was responsible for the account into which the sum of N100,000,000 was paid.


At the hearing of the matter, Ngwede pleaded not guilty to the charges.


Magistrate Huzaifa Maccido granted the defendant bail in the sum of N10 million with two sureties in like sum that must reside within the jurisdiction of the court.


Maccido ordered that one of the sureties must be a civil servant on Grade Level 14 while the other must be a businessman.


All sureties must be living in their personal houses, the magistrate ordered.


He, thereafter, adjourned the case until May 17, for hearing.

NAN