A 26- year-old man, Moses Olaitan, who allegedly impersonated a traditional ruler and defrauded a woman of N51 million on Thursday appeared in an Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court.
The police charged Mr Olaitan, a barber who resides at Iyana Governor Road, Idi- Iroko, Ogun State, with impersonation, stealing, obtaining by false pretences and threat to life.
The prosecution counsel, Raji Akeem, told the court that the defendant committed the offence on July 17, 2020 at Ojokoro area of Lagos.
Mr Akeem alleged that the defendant and some others at large, collected N51 million from Joy Okoro, to prepare a concoction for “ritual cleansing” so that she can become a queen.
He added that the defendant impersonated to be Oba Elegushi on social media, professed love to the complainant and told her to come to Nigeria from London where she stays.
“The defendant told her that she would undergo a ritual cleansing before she can come to the palace and be a queen and linked her up with some at large.
The offence, he said, contravened the provisions of sections 56, 287, 314, 380 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Chief Magistrate O. I Adelaja admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N51million with two sureties in like sum.
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