Lagos property speculator Akinsanya accused of N4.5m fraud arraigned

By Paul Iyoghojie

A lower court in Nigeria’s city of Lagos has heard a case of a suspected property speculator accused of obtaining N4.5 million from a victim under false pretence.

Ibrahim Akinsanya, 35, has been arraigned by the police at the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID Panti, Yaba for obtaining N4.5 million from a property seeker, Ebhinuele Michael.

The case is before Magistrate O.Y. Adefope of the Yaba Magistrate’s Court.

Akinsanya has been accused of collecting money from the complainant with a promise to sell a plot of land to him knowing full well that there was no land to sell.

He was accused of collecting the money from the the victim and failed to provide the land, but instead bolted with the money.

Michael, who is the victim, reported the matter to the Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP in charge of SCID, Lagos, DCP Fayoade Adegoke who gave a marching order to his crack team to fish out the fleeing suspect anywhere he might be hiding.

The Police team, after days of intelligence gathering tracked the suspect to a hideout in Lagos and arrested him.

Akinsanya, a resident of Ikeja, Lagos was charged before the Yaba Magistrate’s Court, Lagos on a two-count charge bordering on obtaining money under false pretence and stealing.

Police Counsel, Magaji Haruna told the court that Akinsanya committed the offence on 1 August, 2021 at 20, Otigba Street, Ikeja, Lagos.

Haruna informed the court that the suspect falsely introduced himself to Michael that he was a property agent knowing full well that he was not and collected N4,500,000 from him to sell a plot of land to him.

He said after the suspect collected the money from the complainant, he bolted before he was tracked and arrested.

Haruna said the offences, the suspected committed were punishable under sessions 413 and 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

Akinsanya, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges and Magistrate Adefope granted him bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum.

Adefope adjourned the case and ordered that the suspect be detained at the Ikoyi Correctional Facility till he perfected the bail conditions.