A former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Alhaja Sinatu Aderoju Ojikutu, will be arraigned on Wednesday (today) at the Federal High Court, Lagos, over an alleged N130 million fraud.
In a statement released by the Special Fraud Unit of the Nigerian Police, it was said that Ojikutu was declared wanted by the Unit on June 19, 2013 in connection with the case of obtaining N130 million from the complainant, one Cajethan Okekearu.
She was later on February, 4, 2014 arrested at her Lagos Island residence.
According to SFU spokesperson, Ngozi Isintume-Agu, Ojikutu is a 67-year old retiree from Lagos Island.
She allegedly connived with her son, Samson Adebisi Ojikutu Junior, who is currently in the United States of America, to commit the fraud.
Isintume-Agu said: “The suspect and her son were parties to the sale of the land and both signed the agreement given to the Complainant and obtained the sum of N130 million from him.
“She admitted the crime but claimed that it was a genuine mistake of plot identification. She refunded the sum of N50 million to the Complainant and promised to refund the balance as soon as she disposed her two properties she put up for sale. She also confessed that she had injected the Complainant’s money in her business.”
Isintume-Agu added that Ojikutu equally made an undertaking and payment plan, which was drawn to run from September 2012 and terminate by November 2012, but she defaulted due to lack of fund.
The deal got blown open when the Complainant commenced development of the land and was on the verge of completion.
It was then the bona fide owner of the land surfaced and it was discovered that the land the suspect sold does not belong to her.
She actually sold Plot 23 Block 4 while Plot 24 Block 4 already has a property on it.
“Investigation revealed that the land she sold did not belong to her, the land belonged to one Mr. Afolabi. It was also discovered that the Plot 24 Block 4, which actually belonged to Late Samson Adebisi Ojikutu Senior, the suspect’s husband who died in 2008 was sold by him in 1995 and the suspect was a life witness and appended her signature to the sale of the land,” revealed Isintume-Agu.
She continued: “A financial institution, which was in possession of the C of O after payment was fully made also tendered the original C of O which the former Deputy Governor of Lagos State had earlier declared missing and even sworn an affidavit to.”
It will be recalled that Ojikutu sued the Inspector-General of Police, the Commissioner of Police in charge of the SFU and the Complainant before the State High Court Holden at Igbosere, Lagos in Suit No. M/581/2013, praying the Court to restrain the police from further investigation into the matter and complaining if the violation of her fundamental human rights.
The ruling by Justice O. Obadina on December, 17, 2013 dismissed the suit for lack of merit.
Obadina ruled that the Nigeria Police has the power to prosecute the Applicants, Ojikutu and her son, Sampson Adebisi Ojikutu (Jnr), since the police investigation revealed that there is prima-facie case of obtaining by false pretences against them and added that the Court will not interfere or restrain the Police from carrying out its statutory function.
The SFU had made concerted efforts to arrest Ojikutu after Obadina gave the ruling.
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