Lukman Olabiyi, Lagos
A community head in Ikorodu, Lagos, Chief Mukaila Agbaku, has been remanded in prison by the Federal High Court, Lagos, pending the determination of his bail applications.
The 49-year-old chief, who resides at Kokoro-Abu area of Ikorodu, Lagos, was arraigned before Justice Nicholas Oweibo on charges bordering on conspiracy and obtaining by false pretence by the police.
Police in the charge marked FHC/L/129c/19, stated that the community head and others now at large, on May 28, 2018, conspired among themselves and fraudulently obtained the sum of N16. 3 million from one Adeoluwa Abiola, with the pretence of selling a half plot of land to him.
Arraigning the defendant, the prosecutor, Barrister J. I. Eboseremen, told the court that the community head was given the land to sell by the real owner and that when he sold the land to the complainant, Adeoluwa, he refused handling over the land to him while telling the initial landowner that he had not found any buyer for the land.
The prosecutor said the situation made the initial landowner to look for a buyer and sold off the land to another person.
He also stated that it was when the complainant wanted to commence work on the land that he met the man who bought the land from the original owner developing it, the situation led to the arrest of the community head.
The prosecutor told the court that the offences committed by the community head were contrary to and punishable under Sections 8 and 1 (a) (c) (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud related offence Act 2006 Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2004.
The defendant, who was not represented by any counsel, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Following his plea and coupled with no legal representation, the presiding judge, Justice Oweibo, while adjourned till Tuesday, July 23, for hearing of his bail application, ordered that the defendant be remanded in prison custody, pending the hearing and determination of the bail application.
Count one on the charge reads: “That you, Chief Mukaila Agbaku, ‘m’ and others at large on or before the month of May 2018 at Ikorodu area of Lagos, in Lagos Federal High Court Judicial division did conspire amongst yourselves to commit felony to wit: obtaining money in advance fee fraud and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 8 of the advance fee fraud and other fraud-related offence act 2006 laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”