Date: 2021-06-24

Kwara state Upper Area Court sitting in Ilorin Wednesday docked a businessman, Sheu Atere for an alleged fraud of a sum of eight million Naira Alhaji Atere who deals in petroleum products was dragged to court by one Ganiyat Bisola Ishola (complainant) for alleged breach of trust.

In a direct complaint of criminal misappropriation, criminal breach of trust and cheating number UAC1/CRF/126/2021, counsel to the complainant Taofiq Sanusi accused the defendant of reneging on an agreement.

Sanusi said: "The complainant briefed us that Alhaji Sheu Atere approached her in the year 2020 to assist him with funds in his petroleum business promising to be paying profit over the capital on monthly basis.

"The defendant lured and fraudulently deceived the complainant into a fictitious business of dealing in petroleum products. In the process, the complainant gave the sum of one million Naira her personal money to the defendant.

"The defendant also pressurized the complainant to add to the initial amount borrowed from the complainant and the complainant collected a sum of seven million naira from her boss in the office and her friend to give to the defendant with the assurance of using the money for business purposes."

He added that the complainant equally lent out a sum of 250,000 to the defendant for personal use.

"Recently, the complainant discovered that the defendant is a fraudster who had allegedly duped many people to the tune of over N100 million," Sanusi added.

Complainant counsel told the court that his client (complainant) had suffered arrest, humiliation and detention in police custody from her boss and friend because the defendant reneged on their agreement.'

He added that his client job's is on the line because of her inability to refund back the money she took from her boss as a loan.

"All this has put a lot of pressure on the complainant," adding that the petition the complainant wrote to the NNPC Depot in Ilorin, Kwara state capital did not help matters.

"The response she got from the depot was that she should take necessary legal steps against the defendant," he added.

He, therefore, urged the court to remand the defendant in prison custody, adding that "a lot of people have fallen victims of the defendant's antics.

But defendant counsel I E Iyanda urged the court to grant him bail, saying he would evade justice.

Iyanda added that the defendant "was served the criminal summons and he obliged. The defendant is a renowned businessman. Remanding him in prison custody will make his business to crumble."

In his ruling, presiding Judge Sunday J. Adeniyi granted the defendant bail with a sum of one million naira, with sureties and a deposit of a sum of four million naira.

He then adjourned the case to July 28th for a hearing.