Landlady Lands In Prison Over N10.7m Property Fraud

A landlady, Alhaja Nosimat Abioye Adekoya, 50, has been arrested by the operatives of the Special Fraud Unit, Milverton Road, Ikoyi, Lagos State, Southwest Nigeria, for fraud.

She was arraigned before an Igbosere Magistrate’s Court on a 3-count charge of obtaining N10.7 million under false pretence from Mrs. Omolade Tijani.

The police prosecution alleged in charge No. C/15/2012 that the accused was arrested following a written complaint by Mrs. Omolade Tijani that the accused on 22 August and 28 September 2011 tricked her to buy her house located at 1, Alubarika Street, Bariga and collected N10.7 million from her, a representation she knew was false after she promised to pack out from the building and hand it over to her with all the documents.

She stated further that after she paid the money in two instalments, the accused refused to vacate the property to enable her take total possession as agreed. She also refused to refund the money after she reneged on the sale of the property.

She was charged to court for obtaining money under false pretence. The offences, the police prosecutor Mr. Idowu Oshunbure said, are contrary to and punishable under Section 409, 312 and 278 of the Criminal Code, Cap. C17, laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2011.

The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge when they were read to her in the open court. The presiding magistrate Mrs. A. F. O. Abegunde Davies admitted her on bail in the sum of N3 million with two sureties in like sum who must show proof of three years tax payment to the Lagos State government with bank account statement.

She also directed that one of the sureties must be a landed property owner within the court’s jurisdiction and adjourned the matter till 30 April, 2012 for mention.

The defendant’s was sent to Kirikiri prison after she failed to meet her bail conditions.

—Paul Iyoghojie