School proprietor arraigned over N2.6m exam fraud

A school proprietor, Gabriel Edagah, was on Tuesday arraigned in Lagos for defrauding Balogun Owolabi of N2.6 million.
Edagah, 44, who allegedly obtained the amount under the pretext of registering 12 students for the West African Examination Council Senior School Certificate Examination, is standing trial in an Ejigbo Magistrates’ Court in Lagos State.
The proprietor, who lives at Ejigbo area in Lagos, was arraigned on a two-count charge of obtaining by false pretence and stealing.
The prosecutor, Corporal Femi Adeleye, told the court that the accused committed the offence between January and February.
Adeleye said that the accused, who oversees Standard GEK School, Ejigbo, obtained the amount from Owolabi under the pretext of registering 12 of his students in his school.
The prosecutor said that after collecting the amount, the accused refused to register the students for the examination and converted the money to his personal use.
Adeleye said that the offences contravened Sections 312 and 285 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Section 312 (3) provides that any person found guilty of fraud is liable to 15 years imprisonment.
The Magistrate, Mr P. E. Nwaka, granted the accused bail in the sum of N200,000 with two sureties in like sum and adjourned the case till July 24 for mention.