The Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, presented its
third prosecution witness, PW 3, Felicia Paul, an operative of the EFCC, in the
trial of one Murtala Adebayo for an alleged N19m fraud before Justice Mojisola
Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos.
Adebayo
was arraigned on January 24, 2024 on a three-count charge bordering on
obtaining money by false pretence to the tune of N19 million.
One
of the counts reads: "Murtala Adebayo, sometime in 2015 in Lagos, within
the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, obtained the
sum of N4,500,000 (Four Million Five Hundred Thousand Naira) from one Gafar
Abiodun Ademolake by falsely representing to him that the payment was for three
plots of land at Ogombo Ajah, Lagos, which representation you knew to be false."
Another
count reads: "Murtala Adebayo, sometime in 2019 at Lagos, within the
jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, obtained three
cars, two Toyota Camry 2005 model and one Honda Accord 2006 model all at an
agreed value of N9,000,000.00 from one Gafar Abiodun Ademolake by falsely
representing to him that the payment was for balance payment of 18 plots of
land at Ayogbemi Village, Ibeju, Lekki, Lagos, a representation you knew to be
false."
The
defendant, who took his plea in the Yoruba Language, pleaded "not
guilty" to the charge preferred against him, thereby leading to his full
trial.
At
the resumed sitting on Tuesday, Paul, while being led in evidence by the
prosecution counsel, Babangida Isah, identified the defendant in the box,
adding that his team investigated the case after the complainant, Gafar
Ademolake, through his lawyer, submitted a petition to the Commission
against the defendant.
“
Sometime in 2015, the nominal complainant met the defendant for the purchase of
land at Ogombo and Ibeju-Lekki. He paid N4.5 million for the Ogombo land and
another N14.5 million for the Ibeju-Lekki.
“The
complainant gave the defendant three cars: One Honda Civic and two Toyota Camry
worth N9 million in exchange for land at Ibeju-Lekki”, he said.
Giving further evidence, he told the court that “the
complainant paid the defendant in cash and transfers to his account. It is
shown in the statement of the complainant. The staffers who collected funds
from the complainant on behalf of the defendant are Ahamed, Richard and Godwin.”
According to him, when Ademolake came to adopt
his petition, he brought some documents, including the Deed of Assignments for
the land in Ogombo and Ibeju-Lekki.
He further told the court that his team, during
investigation, recovered the sum of N4.5 million in respect of the property at
Ogombo, and subsequently handed it over to the complainant.
“We have evidence of payments in cash and transfers to
the staffers of the defendant. All were acknowledged by the defendant. When the
complainant went to the land, he met other people on the land at Ogombo,” the
witness said.
The witness, during cross-examination by defence
counsel, Bamidele Ogundele, stated that Adebayo was arrested alongside the
three staff members.
“ They all confirmed that they received the money at
different times for the defendant,“ he said.
Justice Dada adjourned the matter till November 12,
2024 for continuation of trial.
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