23rd September, 2010
Three suspected land speculators, Taiwo Moses, Stella Ogbonna and Victor Bassey, alleged to have conspired with others at large to obtain money under false pretences, were recently arraigned before a Federal High Court in Lagos.
In a criminal charge number FHC/L/321C/10 filed before the court by the police prosecuting officer from Special Fraud Unit, Mr. Chris Owai, the three accused persons, sometimes in June this year, were alleged to have conspired with Barrister Raymond Etuk Kingsley, Patricia Ogbu, Salami Idowu, Chief Femi Kosoko and others at large, to obtain money under false pretences and stealing and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8(a), punishable under Section 3 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act Cap A6 Volume I Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2008.
When the charge was mentioned for the arraignment of the accused persons, eight of them, Rotimi Abe, Barrister Sunny Akele, Ayodele Oluremi, Muyiwa Adeleke, Bamgbade Lukman, Johnson Uwem, Kingsley Ibori and Dare Mcaubrey, were not present in court. Consequently, their arraignments were differed till a later date.
However, for the other three accused persons, Taiwo Moses, Stella Ogbonna and Victor Bassey, the prosecutor in the criminal charge filed against them, read that with the intention to defraud, obtained N25 million from one Ishola Wale Afolabi with the pretext that they were going to sell a plot of land situated at Lekki Estate, Lagos, to him but this turned out to be false.
The three accused were also alleged to have knowingly and fraudulently forged a Certificate of Occupancy dated 24 December, 1991, purported to have been issued by the Lagos State Ministry of Lands and Survey.
One of the accused persons, Stella Ogbonna, was specifically accused of falsely presenting herself to be one Stella Osharere Gbinige, a representation she knew to be false, while Taiwo Moses was alleged to have conspired with some people at large sometimes in January 2009, specially with Otunba Idowu Raymond, Dipo Ajayi and Chief Femi Kosoko and others at large, to obtain money under false pretences.
Mr. Owai further alleged that Taiwo Moses and others, Rotimi Abe, Barrister Sunny Akele and Ayodele Olarerin, sometimes in January 2009, with intent to defraud, obtained N20 million from one Adaju Segun, with the pretence that they were going to sell a plot of land situated at Magodo Estate Phase I, Lagos, to him and which turned out to be false.
All the accused pleaded not guilty and the presiding judge, Justice Okon Abang, adjourned till 4 October to rule on their bail application.