A 38-year-old man, Festus Olubiyo, was on Friday arraigned before an Iyaganku Magistrates’ Court in Ibadan over allegations of obtaining N7.9 million under false pretences.
Olubiyo, who is facing charges of fraud and theft, pleaded not guilty to the accusations.
According to the prosecutor, Olagoke Adegbenro, the alleged offences took place between June and December 2023 in the Ogunpa area of Ibadan.
Adegbenro told the court that Olubiyo collected the money from one Temitope Adebayo under the guise of helping him pay school fees at a university in the United Kingdom. However, the defendant allegedly failed to fulfill his promise and instead used the funds for personal purposes.
Presiding over the case, Magistrate Olasinmibo Sanusi-Zubair granted Olubiyo bail in the sum of N3.5 million, with two sureties of equal amount. The court ruled that the sureties must be the defendant’s blood relatives and must have stable employment.
The case was adjourned until February 28 for further hearing.