Tag: land fraud

An Ikeja Special Offences Court, on Wednesday, sentenced a man Abodurin Abozo to eight years imprisonment for defrauding a man of N62 million on the pretext of procuring him two plots of land.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Justice Ismail Ijelu held that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) proved the two-count charge of obtaining by false pretences and stealing against Abozo.

Ijelu held that the convict obtained the sum of  N56 million from the complainant, one Mr Samuel Segher, with the assurance of procuring two plots of land for him on Chevy Estate Ojomu in Lagos, a representation he knew to be false.

The court held that the convict assured the complainant that he was the owner of the land after the payment was made.

The court held that the complainant discovered that someone had built on the land when he wanted to take possession and all efforts to recover his money proved abortive.

Ijelu, thereafter, sentenced the convict to seven years without option of fine on court one and one year jail term on count two.

The court further ordered the convict to restitute the sum of N62 million to the complainant.

Read Also: AbdulRazaq mourns death of 200 Kwarans in Niger boat mishap

EFCC had arraigned the convict on Oct. 15, 2023 but he pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge when it was read to him.

He was charged alongside his company, SGB &A Property Lines.

Following his not guilty plea, the EFCC  Counsel Mr Spiff Owede, commenced trial and called two witnesses while the defendant testified as a sole witness for defence.

The prosecution also tendered several documents including extra-judicial statement of the convict which the court admitted in evidence.

According to the prosecution, the offence violates Section 1(3) of the Advanced Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences 2006 and Section 287 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.

Justice Ismail Ijelu of an Ikeja High Court has sentenced a man, Abodurin Gerald Abozo to eight years imprisonment for land fraud.

 Justice Ijelu sentenced the convict after he found him guilty of a two-count charge brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The convict was arraigned on October 15, 2023 on a two-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretense and stealing of the sum of N62 million.

He was charged along with S.G.B. & A Property Lines Company Limited for obtaining the money sometimes in 2013 and the for dishonestly converting  N62,000, 000.00 to personal use.

The convict was accused of obtaining N62 million from Engineer Samuel Segher under the false pretense that he has two plots of land for sale at Chevy Estate Ojomu Chieftancy Family land, Lagos.

He pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge when it was read to him.

Following his not guilty plea, the prosecution counsel, M. S. Owede commenced trial during which he called two witnesses while the defendant testified in his defence.

The prosecution however tender several documents including extra-judicial statement of the defendant which the court admitted in evidence.

 The prosecution witness told the  court that the defendant was arrested following the petition received by the anti-graft Commission.

 In the petition, Abozo was accused of fraudulently obtaining a total sum of N62 million under the pretense that he has two plots of land to sell to him at Chevy-View Estate, Lekki, Lagos. 

The witness further told court that defendant informed him that he was the owner of the land, that after payment, he want to take possession.

Read Also: EFCC decries rise in land fraud, cybercrime in Southeast

The petitioner said that he got to the land only to discovered that someone else has building on the land and all efforts to recover his money proved abortive.

Delivering judgment yesterday in the matter, Justice Ijelu sentenced the defendant, Abozo to seven  years imprisonment without option of fine on court one.

The judge sentenced him to one year on count two, ordered him to make a restitution to the nominal complainant in the sum of N62 million.