A 47-year-old man, Emmanuel Apeh, was on Wednesday docked before a Badagry Magistrates’ Court in Lagos State, for allegedly defrauding five parents of N200,000 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASCCE) fees.
Apeh, whose address was not provided, is facing a two-count charge of fraud and stealing.
The prosecutor, ASP Akpan Nko, told the court that the defendant committed the offences sometime in December 2021, at Newton College, Kilometre 25, Okokomaiko, Badagry Expressway, Lagos.
Nko alleged that the defendant obtained N200,000 as registration fees from five parents under the pretext of wanting to use it to register their children for WASCCE, knowing the claim to be false.
The prosecutor told the court that the defendant stole the money by converting it to his personal use.
The prosecutor said the offences contravened Sections 314 and 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Section 287 stipulates three years’ jail term for stealing for any convicted offender.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The Chief Magistrate, Mr Patrick Adekomaiya, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N200,000 with two sureties in like sum.
Adekomaiya said the sureties must reside within the court’s jurisdiction with evidence of tax payments to the Lagos State Government.
The chief magistrate adjourned the case until Feb. 28 for mention.