A 41-year-old driver, Arinze James, has been arraigned by the Abuja Police Command before a Magistrate’s court for allegedly diverting N650,000 entrusted to him by a client for a business venture.
It was learnt that the driver was dragged before court on charges bordering on fraud, breach of trust and cheating.
The Prosecutor, Charity Nwachukwu, on Thursday, told the court that the complainant, Olaposi Olaniyan, had handed the money to the defendant to establish a block industry enterprise on his behalf.
During the proceedings on Thursday, Nwachukwu added that the arrangement allegedly collapsed after the driver confirmed the receipt of the funds.
According to the prosecution, the accused failed to carry out the agreed project, stopped communicating with the complainant and allegedly redirected the money for personal purposes before leaving his known address, forcing efforts to trace him.
The matter was brought before the Life Camp Chief Magistrates’ Court in Abuja on Thursday after a complaint lodged at Karmo Police Station on November 5, 2025, concerning offences said to have occurred in February 2025.
Nwachukwu informed the court that police later located and apprehended the defendant, although attempts to recover the disputed amount were unsuccessful, and added that the alleged acts contravened Sections 312 and 322 of the Penal Code.
The defendant entered a not guilty plea to the two-count charge, after which Chief Magistrate Musa Jobbo granted the driver bail with a N200,000 bond with one surety required to hold similar financial responsibility.
The court directed that the surety must work with a recognised organisation and live within its jurisdiction, and subsequently adjourned proceedings until April 1 for the commencement of the hearing.
