LAGOS—Justice Olutoyin Ipaye of a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja, yesterday, remanded in prison an Estate Agent, Babatunde Habeeb, arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on 81-count charge of obtaining money by false pretence from 81 accommodation seekers.

According to the charge, the defendant allegedly obtained N350,000 from Moses Ezigbo, N400,000- Mr Ibu Anthony, N400,000- Damola Adebunmi, N250,000- Olawale Oluwaseun, N200,000- Lateef Fadipe, N250,000- Sunny Okreke, N240,000- Odusanya Tunde, N209,000- Rilwan Lawal, N334,000- Azeez Ogundiran and N178,000- Owumi Onome on a false information he made to them that the money was house rent of a property at 59, Oriola Street, Alapere-Ketu, Lagos.

The defendant was also accused to have in the same manner collected N250, 000 from Erubi Salome, N340,000- Bayo Adeyemi, N400,000- Olajuwon Soname, N240,000- Rosa Isa, N230,000- Alhaji Mutiu Ogunlaja, N210,000- Basset Victor, N260,000- Adisa Abayomi, N160,000- Ifedayo Lawal, N370,000- Titilayo Oyediran, N400,000- Peter Adebayo, N495,000- Nzegwe Nnamdi, N380,000- Ismaila Segun, N260,000- Sunday Ola, N120,000- Igbokwe Amechi and 56 others.

EFCC prosecutor, Mrs Iyabo Daramola, informed the court that the offence was contrary to section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, No. 14 of 2006.

However, when the charge was read to the defendant, he pleaded not guilty to the offence and was remanded in Prison till February 2 and 3, 2016 for the prosecution to respond to the bail application brought by his counsel, Paul Nwokemodo.