A 35-year-old businessman, Michael Yohanna, was arraigned before the Zuba Magistrates’ Court in Abuja on Thursday for cheating his client of N600,000.

The police charged Mr Yohanna of Tungamaji, Abuja, with criminal breach of trust and cheating.

The prosecutor, Chinedu Ogade, told the court that the complainant, Ali Kwayo, of the same address, reported the matter at Zuba Police Station on January 18.

Mr Ogada said that sometime in December 2023, the complainant bought two parcels of land at Tungamaji’s new layout from the defendant, valued at N600,000.

He said the complainant brought a surveyor to check the land, but she discovered that it was not the land she paid for. Mr Ogada told the court that the defendant collected the complainant`s money, dishonestly sold her fake land, and refused to pick up her calls.

He said during the police investigation, the defendant could not give a satisfactory account of his actions.

The prosecutor said the offence contravened sections 312 and 322 of the Penal Code.

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against him by the police.

The magistrate, Abdulazeez Mohammed, admitted the defendant to bail of N1 million with a surety in like sum.

Mr Mohammed, who said that the surety must reside within the court’s jurisdiction, adjourned the case until May 28, for hearing. 

(NAN)