The police on Wednesday arraigned a 45-year-old businessman, Joseph Adebayo, before a Kaduna Chief Magistrates’ Court over an alleged N3.5 million fraud.

The defendant, of no fixed address, is standing trial on a charge of fraud.

The prosecutor, Inspector Chidi Leo, told the court that the defendant committed the offence sometime in September 2023 in Kaduna State.

Mr Leo alleged that the defendant obtained N3.5 million from the complainant, Julius Godwin, on the pretext of supplying aluminium windows and zinc and failed to deliver it to him.

He said that efforts made by the complainant to retrieve his money from the defendant proved abortive.

He said the offence contravened the Penal Code Law of Kaduna State, 2017.

The prosecutor asked the court for an adjournment to enable him to study the case file and present his witnesses.

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty.

His counsel, D. M. Stephen, urged the court to grant him bail, with a promise that he would not jump bail.

The magistrate, Ibrahim Emmanuel, granted bail to the defendant in the sum of N200,000 with two sureties in like sum.

Mr Emmanuel ordered that the sureties swear to an affidavit and show evidence of tax clearance in the last three years.

He ordered that the sureties deposit their recent passport photographs with the court and adjourned the case until February 12 for hearing.

(NAN)