A Chief Magistrates’ Court, sitting at Ebute- Metta, Lagos, Wednesday, sentenced a property developer, to 10 years imprisonment for defrauding 133 accommodation seekers of N25 million.
Chief Magistrate O. O. Olatunji convicted the property developer, Alhaji Ayobami Oseni after his plea of “guilty” to 267 counts of conspiracy, obtaining under false pretences and stealing.
Mr. Olatunji said that the offences contravened Section 285, and is punishable under sections 312 and 409 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
He sentenced Oseni to 10 years imprisonment on each of the 267 counts without an option of fine.
The Magistrate said that the sentence, which is to run concurrently, take effect from April 26, 2017 when Oseni was remanded in prison custody following the revocation of his bail.
Magistrate Olatunji also ordered the Lagos State Government to sell the building and share the proceeds among the 133 victims of the fraud.
Also Wednesday, Mr Isaac Akintoye, Managing Director, Forthright Properties Limited, was remanded in prison custody over alleged N120 Million land scam, on the orders of Justice Mojosola Dada of the Lagos State High Court Ikeja.
Remanded alongside Akintoye, were Samuel Okeke and Ifeanyi Ndigwe.
The trios were arraigned by the Economics and Financial crimes Commission, EFCC, on a 16-count charge bordering on stealing and fraud. They are to remain in prison custody pending when the court will hear and determine their bail application.
The prosecutor, Barr. Muhammed Bashir told the court that: “The offences committed by the defendant are contrary to Section 285 (1) of the Criminal laws of Lagos State and Section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.”
However, when the charges were read out to the trio businessmen, they pleaded not guilty. A trial date by the EFCC counsel was sought from the Judge but the defence counsel interjected, informing the court of a pending application for bail.
Consequently, the date for hearing of the bail applications for the businessmen was fixed for May 22, 2018, while June 6, 2018 was fixed for the commencement of trial by Justice Dada, with an order by the court that the businessmen be remanded in prison custody in the meantime.
