The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned Olawore Kazeem Ademola before the Lagos Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja over an alleged N21 million land fraud.
Ademola was brought before Justice Mojisola Dada by the anti-graft agency on a two-count charge bordering on obtaining by false pretence and stealing.
The EFCC said the defendant allegedly defrauded Lincoln City Services and Investments Limited by falsely claiming ownership of 15 acres of land located at Igboku Village, Ilara Town, in Epe Local Council of Lagos State.
The prosecution told the court that the alleged offence was committed sometime in October 2021.
One of the counts reads: “That you, Olawore Kazeem Ademola, on or about October 2021, in Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N21,000,000 from Lincoln City Services and Investments Limited under the representation that you had 15 acres of land for sale at Igboku Village, Ilara Town, in Epe Local Council of Lagos State, and that the said sum was part-payment for the purchase of the land, a representation you knew or ought to have known to be false.”
The prosecution added that the act constitutes an offence contrary to Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.
In the second count, the EFCC alleged that the defendant dishonestly converted the sum of N21 million belonging to Lincoln City Services and Investments Limited to his personal use.
The EFCC said his offence is contrary to Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
When the charges were read to him in court, Ademola pleaded not guilty.
Following his plea, prosecuting counsel, M. S. Owede, urged the court to fix a date for the commencement of the trial and also requested that the defendant be remanded in a correctional centre pending the determination of the case.
However, the defendant’s counsel, H. M. Imoru, informed the court that the nominal complainant had written to the EFCC indicating a desire to withdraw the matter.
Imoru said that the complainant took the decision after the defendant allegedly refunded the full amount involved in the transaction.
He, therefore, urged the court to consider the development in its ruling.
After listening to both parties, Justice Dada adjourned the matter to April 27, 2026, for the commencement of the trial.
The judge also ordered that the defendant be released to his counsel pending further proceedings in the case.
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