‘Gbajabiamila’ Charged For N30M Fraud Not Related To Me — House Of Reps Speaker

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila has clarified that one Suleiman Gbajabiamila standing trial at a Lagos Magistrate Court is not his brother as erroneously reported by some media outlets.

Lanre Lasisi, Special Adviser to the Speaker on Media and Publicity, in a statement, said his principal has no relationship whatsoever with the said Suleiman and that name semblance does not and should not translate to being a family member.

Mr Lasisi insists that the Gbajabiamila family is a big one with many branches like many other families do have. “Therefore, it is not everyone that bears the surname “Gbajabiamila” that is related to Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila.

“The general public is hereby notified that the said Suleiman is not a brother to Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila as erroneously reported in some sections of the media. Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila advises members of the public not to fall for persons thriving on name-dropping and misrepresentation.

Eighteen-Eleven Media reports that the police, yesterday, arraigned Suleiman Gbajabiamila, 62, before a Chief Magistrate’s Court 1, Yaba, Lagos, for allegedly defrauding a United Kingdom-based Nigerian man, Lateef Adeyemo, of the sum of Thirty Million Naira (N30,000,000.00) only.

Gbajabiamila, who was said to have been at large for months, was arraigned before Chief Magistrate Adeola Olatunbosun, on a two-count charge bordering on stealing and false presentation, an offence punishable under Section 287 of the criminal law of Lagos State 2015.

The accused was brought to court by a police prosecutor, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Folorunso. According to the charge, Gbajabiamila had last year presented himself as an estate agent, fraudulently collected and converted to his own use, the said sum meant for the purchase of a two-bedroom flat for Adeyemo between September and October 2021.

The suspect however pleaded not guilty to the charge and was remanded in police custody. Chief Magistrate Olatunbosun, subsequently, adjourned further hearing to 25th July 2022,

Speaking with newsmen after the proceeding, Adeyemo said Gbajabiamila has been using the name of the Speaker of the House of Representatives to defraud several persons and had been at large for months before he was arrested.

He said: “I got to know him through two men and I started sending money to him. He even showed us keys to the house and pictures and I never suspected him initially.

“I realised he had defrauded me when he stopped picking up our calls in January 2022. The guys that introduced him asked me not to worry because his brother is the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

“I never knew he was a thief. He made a fake draft when I asked him to return my money and said he’s paid the money.

“The total money is N31 million because they collected N1 million as commission, but it is not included.”