Admin I Monday, February 19, 2018
IKEJA, Nigeria – A Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja today remanded in prison custody, a lawyer Barrister Idowu Adebayo Micheal, Mukaila Fakos and Engineer Rasaq Sefiu Adesina for allegedly obtaining the sum of N155 million through fraudulent means.
The lawyer and two others were remanded on 11 count charge of conspiracy to effect an unlawful purpose, fraudulent disposal of trust property, stealing, obtaining money by false pretence, forgery and altering of false document, contrary to section 518(6), 434, 390(9), 516, 465 and 467 of the Criminal Code Cap C17 Vol. 11, Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2003.
Their offence was said to have also contravened section 8(a) and 1(3), 1(1)(a) and 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act No 14 of 2006.
Justice Hakeem Oshodi remanded the suspects after they all entered a no guilty plea to all charges. The defendants were said to have conspired sometimes in 2009, unlawfully and carried out unauthorised sale of property of Mr Idowu Musiliu Ololape Balogun at No 2, Kayode Taiwo street, Magodo, Lagos without his consent.
The defendants, Engineer Adesina and Fakos sold the landed property to Barrister Idowu Adebayo Micheal for N35 million and fraudulently converted the money to his personal use.
Part of the charge read that, ‘Mukaila Fakos, Engr. Rasak Sefiu Adesina, Barrister Idowu Adebayo Micheal, Babatunde Smith (at large) and Adigun Smith (at large), sometimes in 2010 in Ikeja conspired to obtain the sum of N120 million from one Lanre Obiesan by false pretence when you know you were not authorised to do so by the true owners unlawful sale of Mr Idowu Musiliu Ololape Balogun and Musbal Nig. Ltd’s property to him.”
The prosecution alleged that defendants obtained N120million from Obiesan by falsely representing to him that they were authorised to sell land property at No 5c Micheal Ogun Street, GRA, Ikeja.
Also, they were alleged to have forged document titled; “Special Resolution of Musbal Nig. Ltd” dated December 8, 2010. “Form CAC 7” and “Consent Letter by Ayoola Fakos” and uttered false document to Guarantee Trust Bank through its member staff to act upon as genuine.
After their plea, prosecution counsel, Mr Emmanuel Jackson asked the court for short adjournment for trial and prayed the court to remand the defendants.
However, defendants counsel, Lawal Pedro (SAN) in his response told court that 3rd defendant (Barr Micheal) filed application for bail. He said that they have been on bail granted them by the Magistrate court. The trial judge therefore adjourned hearing of bail application till February 26, 2018 and ordered them to be remanded in prison custody.
