A Lagos State Chief Magistrate’s Court, sitting in Yaba, Lagos, has ordered the remand of an Estate Agent, Suleiman Gbajabiamila in Ikoyi correctional centre till November 14, 2022, over housing fraud of N30m.
Gbajabiamila was arraigned on a two-count charge for defrauding a United Kingdom-based Nigerian, Lateef Adeyemo, of the sum of N30 million.
According to the charge, Gbajabiamila, who presented himself as an estate agent, last year fraudulently collected the said sum meant to purchase a two-bedroom flat and failed to deliver as expected between September and October 2021.
Gbajabiamila was said to have been at large for months, was arraigned before Chief Magistrate Adeola Olatunbosun, on charges bordering on stealing and false presentation, an offence punishable under Section 287 of the criminal law of Lagos State 2015..
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Gbajabiamila was first arraigned on June 20, 2022, and the case was adjourned to July 25, but he did not show up during the hearing and had been at large ever since. He was said to have switched off his phone since July , returns home in the middle of the night and leaves home before 5:00a.m. during the period he was at large.
It was said that during the period, he only left the Island twice.
The police claimed that Gbajabiamila has been on a transaction spree during the period and some of the bank transfers were between him and his wife.
The victim also paid a sum of N150,000 for the culprit to be tracked, but it was difficult to track Gbajabiamila down because he decided to be offline.
However, he ran out of luck after he put on his phone on Tuesday, September 20, 2022.
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The Investigating Police Officer (IPO) in charge of the case, Inspector Femi Ojikutu said the man was fished out the same day.
“I asked him if he was duped so we could make an arrest and he told me that he wasn’t. He said he used the money for charity. His two sureties have also withdrawn their support,” Ojikutu told the court.
After his appearance in court, yesterday, Chief Magistrate Olatunbosun remanded Gbajabiamila in Ikoyi Correctional centre till November 14, 2022.
The court ordered that police officers are to convey the defendant to the said prison and deliver him to the Superintendent, who will receive him into custody and keep him till November 14, 2022
On the next adjourned date, the police are also ordered to convey Gbajabiamila to the Magistrate’s court, Yaba, at 09:00.a.m. for hearing of the matter.
