BAIRAMIAN F.J., (Delivering the Judgment of the Court): The appellant was tried before a Lagos Magistrate on a charge of stealing £19 the property of Nimota Alake, and was convicted of stealing. He appealed to the High Court on the ground that the evidence did not support the charge; the outcome was an alteration of the finding to one of false pretences. He how appeals from that court.
The following statement is taken from the High Court given on 24th October, 1960:-
“The facts which the learned Magistrate found proved are very simple. On the 21st January, 1960, the complainant came to Lagos to purchase some dye. She met the appellant, whom she did not know before, outside a shop and he offered to assist her in her purchase. He took her to several shops and finally to C.F.A.O. there he made enquires and was told outside the complainant’s hearing that the firm had dye in stock and that the price was £12 – 10s – 0d per drum. He took the complainant aside and informed her that the price wa…