Two men, Usman Garuba and Sagir Shuaib, have been arraigned before the Ogba Magistrate Court in Lagos for allegedly impersonating Bureau De Change operators and defrauding a traveller of over N16 million at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport.
According to court documents and police investigations, the defendants allegedly approached the victim, Ali Kelvin, on March 26, 2025, around 5 p.m., posing as legitimate currency exchange agents.
They reportedly offered to convert 90,000 Chinese yuan (RMB), equivalent to approximately N16,650,000, into Nigerian naira.
Kelvin, believing them to be genuine operators, handed over the funds but never received the naira equivalent.
A formal complaint lodged with the Airport Police Division led to a swift investigation and the subsequent arrest of the suspects.
During interrogation, Garuba and Shuaib allegedly confessed to collecting the funds and admitted to spending the entire sum, claiming they were unable to refund the victim.
The duo now faces a three-count charge, including conspiracy, obtaining money under false pretenses, and stealing.
The prosecution further revealed that two accomplices involved in the fraudulent scheme remain at large.
In the first count, the defendants were accused of conspiring to commit a felony—specifically obtaining money by false pretenses and stealing—an offense under Section 325(1) of the Lagos State Criminal Law.
The second charge detailed the fraudulent acquisition of 90,000 RMB under the pretext of currency exchange, in violation of Section 314 and punishable under Section 314(3).
The third count involved the theft of the foreign currency, contrary to Section 287.
Both defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Inspector Adeitan Oluwabunmi, prosecuting, informed the court of the prosecution’s readiness to proceed, requesting a date for hearing to present evidence against the accused.
Magistrate M.A. Agbaje granted bail to the defendants with strict conditions, including the provision of sureties with verifiable means of livelihood and evidence of tax compliance.
The court also directed that the sureties’ addresses be confirmed by law enforcement before bail could be perfected.
Pending the fulfillment of their bail conditions, Garuba and Shuaib have been remanded at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre. The case was adjourned for mention.
