Abdulazeez Abdulwahab
ATTEMPT by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to arraign alleged crooked estate agent, Chief Muritala Adebayo (popularly known as Oloriebi Ajah) has suffered a setback after he failed to show up in court.
The EFCC in charge number ID/22690c/23 filed a three-count information bordering on obtaining money by pretence against Adebayo before a Lagos State Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja.
According to the charge, Oloriebi Ajah, allegedly obtained the sum of Noneen Million Naira (N19,000,000.00) only from Mr Gafar Ademolake on the pretext of procuring 21 plots of land, a representation he knew to be false.
When the case was called, counsel to the EFCC, Mr B.M. Isa apologised for the absence of the defendant.
Isa told the court that the defendant, who was on administrative bail, was asked to appear in court but failed to do so.
“The EFCC will do the needful to apprehend the defendant and bring him to court,” he said.
According to the petition attached to the charge and signed by S. B. Olawunmi Esq., sometime in 2015, Mr Gafar Abiodun Ademolake and Aminat (his wife) purchased 22 plots of land at Agoro family land, Ayegbami village, Ibeju Agbe, Ibeju Local Government, Lagos; Kasumu, Kasumu Sarumi family land, Ilamija Nla, Epe Local Government Area, Lagos State; Ashafa Mogaji family land, Oke-Iran village at Okun Ajah, Eti Osa Local Government Area, Lagos State for the sum of Thirty Million Naira (N30, 000, 000 .00)
Consequently, Chief Adebayo showed them some land upon which the petitioners spent a lot of money on developing the properties.
The petitioners alleged that after spending their hard-earned money on the properties, they were later to discover that Chief Adebayo had resold the said property without their consent.
They further stated that when they brought the issue to the attention of Chief Adebayo he pleaded with them and offered an ‘unreasonable explanation and took them to another property, instructed his boys to measure the land and thereafter issued a receipt covering the total amount paid’ by the petitioners.
But petitioners noted that subsequently when they got to the second property, they discovered that they had been defrauded as Chief Adebayo gave them property already sold to someone else.
According to them, all efforts to recover their money from him thereafter were rebuffed and matched with alleged intimidation and threat to life.
Justice Mojisola Dada adjourned the case sine die.
Eighteen-Eleven Media