The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arrested two businessmen, Olufunmilade Adeyemi and Oganla Oladimeji, for allegedly obtaining N3m from a land buyer, Sanni Peters, under false pretences.
Punch Metro learnt Adeyemi allegedly collected the sum of N3m from Peters under the pretext that the money was for the sale of 11 plots of land to him located on Complete Leisure Estate, Sangotedo, Lagos State.
It was gathered that the duo approached one Ojiofor Blessing to source for prospective buyers of land, which allegedly did not exist.
Punch correspondent learnt that Blessing petitioned the anti-graft commission about the incident and the duo were arrested.
They were subsequently arraigned at the Ikeja High Court alongside their company, Stealth Communications Limited, on nine counts bordering on obtaining by false pretences.
The offences were said to be contrary to sections 364(1) and 312 (3) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
At the Monday proceeding, an operative of the EFCC, Clever Ibrahim, narrated to the court how Adeyemi and Oladimeji allegedly obtained the money under false pretences.
When led in evidence by the prosecution counsel, N.A. Anana, Ibrahim told Justice Olushola Williams that sometime in 2016, the commission received a petition from Ojiofor Blessing and it was assigned to his team for investigation.
He said the defendants sought the service of the complainant to source for prospective buyers for land that did not exist, obtained money and issued a receipt, adding that Oladimeji on June 26, 2016, obtained N1.8m from Adeyemi.
However, when the prosecution counsel sought to tender the defendants’ confessional statements made at the EFCC office when they were arrested, the defendants’ counsel opposed the tendering of the statements, arguing that they were obtained under duress.
Justice Williams adjourned the case till October 26, 2018.
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