Pastor, one other charged with N8m land fraud in Abuja

A pastor, Daniel Osumoro, alongside one Tyubee Terkumbi on Wednesday appeared in a Karu Chief Magistrates’ Court, Abuja, charged with N8 million land fraud.
The police arraigned Daniel, 53, and Terkumbi, 51, before Chief Magistrate Hadiza Dodo on a six-count charge of criminal conspiracy and forgery.
The prosecutor, Sergeant Atteh Effiong, told the court that the first accused (pastor) approached one Oludare Lawrence and told him that he was a property dealer in the FCT.
Effiong alleged that the complainant, Lawrence, believed the first accused, being a pastor, and gave him N8 million to help him acquire land within the city centre.
He further alleged that the accused persons presented the complainant with forged documents, including re-certification and re-issuance of Certificate of Occupancy, as those of a piece of land they had secured for him.
According to the prosecutor, the documents were later discovered to be forged, but the accused persons managed to refund only N1 million to the complainant.
He said that the offence contravened the Penal Code, but the accused pleaded not guilty.
Defence counsel, Eniola Ayenuberu and A. Obaniyi, made an oral bail application, stating that remanding the accused persons would further congest the prison and raise the cost of feeding the inmates.
They urged the court to exercise its discretion in favour of the accused persons and grant them bail “in the most liberal term”.
Dodo admitted them to bail for N2 million each, with a reliable surety who must be a civil servant resident within the court’s jurisdiction.
She adjourned the case till June 10 for further hearing.