The Ibadan Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on Tuesday, arraigned an 82-year-old Chief Olagoke Samson Amoo-Onidundu who claims to be the Baale of Onidundu area of Akinyele, Oyo state before Justice Iyabo Yerima of the Oyo State High Court, sitting in Ibadan for alleged land fraud.
The acclaimed Baale was charged with four counts of acquiring money under false pretences, which is illegal under section 1(1)(a) of the advance fee fraud and other fraud-related offences statute of 2006 and penalized under section 1 (3) of the same act.
The complainant stated that he purchased four acres of land from the defendant for N4, 400,000, but that he was afterwards denied access to the land by some people claiming to be the real owners.
One of the counts reads, ”That you, Chief Olagoke Samson Amoo-Onidundu on or about the 19th August 2020, at Ibadan within the Ibadan Judicial Division of this Honourable Court with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of Two Million Naira (N2,000,000.00) only from one Oluwagbemi Isaac Ashaolu by falsely telling him that the sum was part payment for the purchase of four acres of land you have secured for him, which you are in a position to deliver to him; which representation you knew to be false and you thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1(1)(a)of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006 and punishable under section 1 (3) of the same Act.”
He pleaded ‘not guilty’ to the charges preferred against him.
In view of his plea, prosecution counsel, Dr Ben Ubi asked for a date for the commencement of trial. He also prayed the court remand the defendant at the Nigerian Correctional Centre.
The defendant was remanded at the Nigerian Correctional Centre, Abolongo, while the case was adjourned till August 9, 2021.
In a similar event, Justice Yerima found one Aremu Ridwan Kunle guilty of a criminal charge filed by the Commission and sentenced him to six months of community service.
Aremu was found guilty of obtaining money under false pretences in violation of Section 419 of the Criminal Code, 38 Cap. Laws of Oyo State, 2000, on a six-count amended charge. He admitted to the charge and entered a guilty plea.
After convicting the accused, the judge ordered him to repay his victims, Jason Arthur, Paul Jackson, and John Geditz, a total of $360. Aremu was also ordered to surrender to the Federal Government of Nigeria one black and purple coloured Techno Spark 4 mobile phone and one silver-coloured HP Laptop.
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