Lukman Olabiyi
A property developer, Alabi Tesleem Idowu, has been docked before the Federal High Court, Lagos, for allegedly defrauding 251 prospective accommodation seekers to the tune of N65 million. Alabi was arraigned before Justice Nicholas Oweibo on 251 counts of obtaining money under false pretence.
He was alleged to have used a renovated building, which a self-contained room and a room-and-parlour, located on Karimu Street, Alapere, Ketu, Lagos, to defraud the accommodation seekers of the said sum between January and June 2019.
The offences, according to the prosecutor, Mr. Chukwu Agwu, are contrary to and punishable under section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the offences. Following the developer’s not guilty plea, the prosecutor, Mr. Agwu, asked the court to remand him in prison custody pending the filing, hearing and determination of his bail application.
Agwu also told the court that the defendant had been in the police custody since he was arrested; this, he said, was done by a court order obtained to prevent him from truncating the police investigation on the said scam.
But, the defendant’s counsel, Mr. Jilji Jinrin, told the court that he was just served with the charge and that he needed a short adjournment to file his client’s bail application.