Ex-Lagos Deputy Governor denies allegation of N130m fraud

A former Deputy Governor of Lagos state, Alhaja Sinatu Ojikutu has debunked allegation of N130 million fraud levelled against her in respect of a landed property located at Lekki in the state.
According to her solicitor, Adenrele Adegboroye, declaring the former Deputy Governor wanted for fraud was unnecessary, saying she “is not a Criminal and has not committed any fraudulent act to warrant a damaging publication being made against her”.
The Special Fraud Unit (SFU) of theNigeria Police had on Wednesday declared Alhaja Sinatu Ojikutu and her son, Samson Ojikutu Junior wanted in connection with an alleged fraud of N130 million.
According to the SFU spokesperson, Ngozi Isintume-Agu, the former Deputy Governor had earlier been arrested and granted bail, but has since has “failed to show up to continue with the case”.
However, Mr Adegboroye claimed that “Our Client, Alhaja Ojikutu has also made herself available to the Special Fraud Unit of the Nigeria police anytime her attention was required on the matter. That is why it has come as a surprise to us that the Police are planning to make a publication declaring our Client wanted”.
He also posited that at no time did Alhaja Ojikutu sold the property in dispute to Mr Cajetan Okekearu, insisting that the alleged Bond instrument upon which the property was said to have been sold by the former was forged as she “never signed any such document as a witnesses or in any capacity”.
In a letter sent to the SFU on behalf of Alhaja Ojikutu and her son and made available to Eagle Online. Adenrele Adegboroye Esq, states in part that:
“Sometime in 1984 Alhaja Sinatu Aderoju Ojikutu and her late husband, Mr Sampson Adebisi Ojikutu (“said late husband”) contributed money towards the application for and acquisition of a plot of land in the Lekki Residential Scheme, Phase 1 on which property they intended to build a new matrimonial home.
“Further to Alhaja Sinatu Aderoju Ojikutu’s aforesaid agreement with her said late husband, her said late husband (whose initials are ‘S. A. Ojikutu’), applied for and on the 2nd of January, 1985 the Governor of Lagos State allocated the land known and described as PLOT 24 BLOCK 4 LEKKI RESIDENTIAL SCHEME PHASE `1, MEASURING 1379.50 SQUARE METERS (‘the said land’) to Alhaja Sinatu Aderoju Ojikutu’s said late husband who acquired said land for himself and for Alhaja Sinatu Aderoju Ojikutu, which land is numbered ‘24’ and verged blue in the survey plan No.LS/D/LA366.
“That on the 6th of June, 1991 the Governor of Lagos State issued a Lagos State Certificate-of-Occupancy in respect of said land to our her later husband, Mr. Sampson Adebisi Ojikutu, which Certificate-of-Occupancy was registered at the Lagos State Land Registry Office, Ikeja as NUMBER 28 AT PAGE 28 IN VOLUME 1991Z on the 6th of June, 1991.
“That at all times when our clients dealt with Mr. Cajetan Okekearu the only land in contemplation between the parties was the land mentioned above which at all material times our clients knew for a fact, believed and still believe that they (our clients) are beneficially entitled to. The Contract of Sale executed between our clients and said Mr. Cajetan Okekearu shows the land in contemplation as Block 4 Plot 24, Lekki Peninsula Residential Scheme. The receipt dated 6th October, 2011 also shows that our client only received money from Mr. Cajetan Okekearu in respect of the said land further to the aforesaid contract of sale and in their capacity as administrators of the estate of Sampson Adebisi Ojikutu which estate includes the said land.
“That at no time whatsoever did our client either directly or through any agent of theirs represent to Mr. Cajetan Okekearu or agent for said Mr. Cajetan Okekearu that our clients were selling any land anywhere other than the land known and described as Block 4 Plot 24 Lekki Peninsula Residential Scheme 1 to Mr. Cajetan Okekearu.

Our letter of 14th March, 2013 written on our clients’ behalf pointed out clearly to Mr Cajetan Okekearu’s Solicitors that, whether directly or indirectly, our clients and each of them never at any time showed any land to Mr. Cajetan Okekearu.
“The alleged Bond instrument upon which the Mr. Cajetan Okekearu alleges that Alhaja Sinatu Aderoju Ojikutu and her husband sold or charged the said land in favour of one Mr. Phillips Abumere before agreeing to sell the said land to Mr Cajetan Okekearu is a forgery because Alhaja Sinatu Aderoju Ojikutu never signed any such document as a witnesses or in any capacity and do not know and have never at any time dealt with any Mr. Phillips Abumere in respect of anything.
“Acting promptly upon her voluntary undertaking, Alhaja Sinatu Aderoju Ojikutu has refunded the sum of =N=50, 000000.00 (Fifty-Five Million Naira Only) out of the =N=130, 000,000.00 (‘Contract Sum’) she received from Mr. Cajetan Okekearu pursuant to the aforesaid contract of sale of the said land”.
Mr Adegboroye therefore, insisted that “From the foregoing, it is clear that our Client, Alhaja Sinatu Ojikutu is not a Criminal and has not committed any fraudulent act to warrant a damaging publication being made against her”.
He also submitted that “the dispute between Mr Cajetan Okekearu and our clients (Alhaja Ojikutu and her son, Samson) “is entirely civil and has no criminal dimensions whatsoever. It is therefore not something the Nigeria Police Force or anyone else is empowered to interfere with”.