By Chisom Unachukwu

Lagos—A magistrate, Miss Olanike Olagbende, of Igbosere Magistrate’s Court in Lagos, yesterday, refused to try two bankers for alleged conspiracy to defraud a property counsellor of N20 million.

The two female staff of a mortgage bank, Chinyere Chiemezie, 45, and Kemi Oyedeji, 36, said to have conspired with Mike Adeleye and Omirefa Taiwo to commit the offence, were arraigned before Magistrate Olanike Olagbende.

The prosecutor, Friday Mameh, told the court that the defendants and others still at large conspired to steal N20 million from one Noah Adeosun, who is a property counsellor.

He said the defendants committed the offence between April and September 21, 2017, at Block 94, Plot 3, Providence Street, Lekki, Phase 1, Lagos.

Mameh said the defendants, who are staff of the bank, conspired with one Mike Adeleye, a business partner to the complainant, and his girlfriend, Omirefa Taiwo, to obtain the total sum of N20 million from Adeosun, a property counsellor under the false pretence to sell a property at Lekki Phase 1 to him.

According to the prosecutor, the offence committed is punishable under section 314 (1) (2) (3) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State.

But while the defendants pleaded not guilty, Magistrate Olagbende said they won’t be tried and that they should be released to go home.

She said: “I am not trying these ladies because they were only doing their jobs as staff to receive money from Taiwo.

“So in this case they haven’t done anything wrong and the main people to hold responsible is Taiwo and Adeleye.”

The magistrate released the defendants to their counsel but threatened to arrest the defendants if they fail to report themselves before the court till the final determination of the case.

The case was adjourned till January 25, 2018 for a mention.