Godwin Tsa, Abuja
An Abuja based legal practitioner, Everetus Chinedum Ugwuomo and three other land speculators have been charged before the Federal High Court, Abuja division, by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), in another land scam involving the sum of N61.8m.
The syndicate was alleged to have fradulently obtained the money from one Bashir Suleiman under the guise of selling a house to him located at Gwarimpa Estate, Abuja.
Also charged with the lawyer in an amended charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/220/2017 are Olakunle Blessing Fayomi; Bashir Awodi and Daniel Adole.
Ugeuomo and four other members of his syndicate are standing trial on similar offence before Justice Taiwo Taiwo where they were re-arraigned on an 11-count charge bordering on land speculation scam involving the sum of N29m.
Others arraigned alongside Ugwuomo before Justice Taiwo were Umar Sanda Adamu, Usman Audu, Adole Christopher Oche (of Bureau of Public Procurement), and Damian Audu.
Two other co-defendants, Joseph Omale and Kingsley Awodi are currently at large according to the prosecution counsel.
In the earlier charge, the prosecution counsel, Mr. Simon Lough, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), told Justice Taiwo Taiwo that, the defendants had sometimes in September 2017, defrauded Mrs. Grace Awajash Dauda of the sum of N29m on the pretence of selling a house at Gwarimpa Estate Abuja to her.
In the 11-count amended charge dated April 29, 2019, the prosecution said the action of the defendants are contrary and punishable to the provisions of sections 1(2) (c) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act CAP M17, Laws of the Federation (LFN); section 366 of the Penal Code and section 1(a) of the Dishonoured Cheque Act CAP D11, LFN 2004, amongst other provisions of the law.
But in a separate charge, the Police authorities alleged that Ugeuomo and his accomplice did conspire amongst themselves to fraudulently obtained the sum of N61.8m from Bashir Suleiman under the guise of selling house No.26 and 28 of 41 Crescent, Victoria Ironsi, Gwarimpa, F.C.T, Abuja to him and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 8 of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Related Offences Act, CAP A6 LFN 2010.
That you, Olakunle Blessing Fayomi, Bashir Awodi; Ugeuomo Evarestus Chinedum, Daniel Adole and two others at large namely: Hassan Yakubu and Joseph Omale sometimes in July, 2017 at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this honourable Court fraudulently obtained the sum of N61. 830, 000 from one Bashir Suleiman, under the guise of selling house No. 26 and 28 of 41 Crescent, Victoria Ironsi, Gwarimpa, F.C.T, Abuja to him and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Related Offences Act CAP A6 LFN 2010.
In count three of the charge, the prosecution alleged that the syndicate conspired themselves with intent to defraud Bashir Suleiman, forged a “Letter of Allocation of a Housing Units at Gwarimpa 11 Estate, Abuja, FCT, Nigeria” issued by the Federal Housing Authority to Suleyman A. Ndanusa which they used to fraudulently obtain the sum of N61.830.000 from Bashir Suleiman and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 97 of the Penal Code Act CAP P LFN 2010.
They further alleged to have forged a Power of Attorney purported to have emanated from one Suleyman A.Ndanusa which they fraudulently used to obtained the said amount from Bashir Suleiman.
The charge endorsed by David Igbodo and Kalu Orji of the Legal Department, Force Headquarters were equally charged under section 364 and 366 of the Penal Code Act CAP P LFN 2010.
234 8033726131