Erivona Yoma, 47, was charged with cheating Pally Agro Nigeria Limited, an agricultural company, of N20 million in front of the Magistrate Court in the Yaba neighborhood of Lagos State.
Yoma is accused of defrauding Pally Agro by pretending to buy and give them soy beans and planting supplies, but instead he took the money and used it for his own purposes.
On Friday, Yoma appeared before Magistrate Adeola Olatunbosun on three counts that bordered on felony, including theft and getting money under false pretenses, which were brought against him by the police.
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Rita Momoh, the police prosecutor, informed the court that the defendant had committed the crime at some point in 2021 and had after gone missing.
According to her, the crime was punishable by Sections 411, 314(B), and 287 of the Lagos State, Nigeria 2015 Criminal Law.
According to the charges, “That at some point in 2021 in Lagos State, in the Lagos Magisterial District, you, Erivona Great Yoma, and others at large did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to wits obtaining money by false pretense, stealing, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 411 of the Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015 Criminal Code.”
That on the aforementioned date, time, and location in the Magisterial District, you, Erivona Great Yoma, and others at large did deceitfully obtain the entire amount of twenty million naira from one Pally Agro Nigeria Limited in order to buy planting supplies and soy beans. A false representation that you made knowing it was so, committing an offense that is punished by Section 314 (8) of the Lagos State of Nigeria 2015 Criminal Code Law.
That on the same day, at the same time, and in the same Magisterial District, you, Erivona Yoma,’m, and others at large did steal the entire amount of twenty million naira from one Pally Agro Nig. Ltd. and thereby committed an offense punishable under Section 287 of the Lagos State Criminal Law of Nigeria.
Yoma, the defendant, was read the charges, but he entered a not guilty plea to the ones brought against him.
After the defendant entered a plea, Magistrate Olatunbosun gave him N10 million in bail with three responsible sureties, one of whom had to be a Lagos State landowner. The court needs to confirm all sureties’ documentation, she continued.
Olatunbosun also postponed the case’s resolution until April 15, 2024.