According to Punch, the Special Fraud Unit of the Nigeria Police has declared a former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Alhaja Sinatu Ojikutu, wanted for allegedly defrauding a land buyer of N130m.
The SFU alleged in a statement on Wednesday that the suspect and
her son, Samson, obtained money from the victim by false representation.
The Commissioner of Police for the command, Tunde Ogunsakin, said,
“The victim alleged that in September 2011, the suspects conspired and
sold a parcel of land at Plot 24 Block 4 situated at Admiralty Way,
Lekki Phase 1, Lagos for N130m which he paid into the first suspect’s
account with the Union Bank of Nigeria Plc.
He further stated that after payment, he requested title document
and Alhaja Ojikutu procured an affidavit of support to back her
fraudulent claim, a police crime extract and a publication in a
newspaper all purporting to loss of the original documents of title to
the land.
The victim believed her because of her personality as the former Deputy Governor of Lagos State.
“The bubble burst when the victim commenced development of the land
and was on the verge of completion when the bona fide owner of the land
surfaced and indeed it was discovered that the land the suspect sold
did not belong to her. She actually sold Plot 23 Block 4 while Plot 24
Block 4 already has a property on it.”
According to police investigation, the land Ojikutu sold, did not
belong to her, but to one Mr. Afolabi. It was also discovered that the
Plot 24 Block 4, which actually belonged to Alhaja Ojikutu’s late
husband, Samson Ojikutu (senior), was sold by him in 1995 and the
suspect was a life witness and appended her signature to the sale of the
land.
Ogunsakin said the suspect further perpetrated the crime by
alleging that the original Certificate of Occupancy to the property was
missing and swore an affidavit which enabled her to obtain a police
report and memorandum of loss. She also put up an advert in newspapers
that the original C of O was lost, whereas the original C of O was with
the Hallmark Homes, the buyer of the property.
He said, “The suspect, who is a 67-year-old retiree from Lagos
Island, allegedly connived with her son, Samson, who is currently in the
United States to commit the fraud. The suspect and her son were
parties to the sale of the land and both signed the agreement given to
the complainant and obtained the sum of N130m from him.
“She admitted committing the crime but confessed that it was a
genuine mistake of plot identification. She refunded the sum of N50m to
the complainant and promised to refund the balance as soon as she
disposed of her two properties she put up for sale. She also confessed
that she had invested the victim’s money in her business.
“She equally made an undertaking and payment plan which was drawn
from September, 2012 and was to terminate by November 2012, but she
defaulted.”
Ogunsakin stated that the suspect was not willing to abide by the
terms of payment and had jumped bail. He added that all attempts to
contact her had proved abortive.
“The SFU declares Alhaja Ojikutu wanted. Anybody with useful
information regarding her whereabouts should report to the Commissioner
of Police, Special Fraud Unit, 13 Milverton Road, Ikoyi,” he said.
Source: Punch
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