Follow Us on Google
LAYI OLANREWAJU, Ilorin
Justice Mahmood Abdulgafar of a Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin on Monday 16th of December 2019 adjourned till 5th of February of next year to deliver Judgement in a criminal matter involving an Ilorin based Legal Practitioner, Akeem Jimoh who was charged for land fraud.
The Ilorin Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had sometime in July 2019 arraigned the Embattled Lawyer on a one count charge bordering on obtaining money under false pretence.
The charge reads, “That you, Akeem Jimoh, sometime in August 2011 in Ilorin, within the jurisdiction of the honourable court with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N150,000 from one Mr Ogunleye Benjamin for a plot of land which you knew to be false.”
The offence, according to the prosecution, was punishable under section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and other fraud Related Offences Act No.14 of 2006.
He had pleaded not guilty to the charge.
At the resumed hearing of the matter on Monday, Lead Counsel to the defence, Olarewaju Aluko in adopting his final written address urged the Court to discharge and acquit his client on the grounds that the prosecution has failed to link Jimoh to the alleged crime .
He said ” My Lord, the defendant was arraigned before this Court on one count charge of obtaining money by false pretence contrary to section 14 of the Advance Fee fraud, the prosecution called four witnesses and tendered two Exhibits. The only issue we formulated is whether the prosecution has succeeded to prove the ingredients of obtaining money by false pretence against the defendant, the answer is No. “
Responding, Prosecution Counsel, Sessan Ola urged Justice Abdulgafar to convict the defendant, insisting that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.
Ola said ” looking at the testimonies of the four prosecution witnesses and the two Exhibits tendered, it was so clear that the defendant did not tell the PW1 that he had sold the land since 2011 to PW3, I want the Court to hold that the EFCC have succeeded in proving its case “
Justice Abdulgafar after hearing the argument of both parties adjourned till 5th of February 2020 for final Judgment.
