A mortgage banker Suleiman Gbajabiamila has been convicted by the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja for defrauding a victim of N31 million through a property transaction, which was for a two-bedroom apartment which he never delivered.
Penpushing reports that Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in a statement said investigation prompted by a petition from the fraud victim, Lateef Adeyemo, revealed that the petitioner paid N31 million to the convict for a two-bedroom apartment in Lagos in 2021.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) explained that efforts to get the property proved abortive, while Gbajabiamila allegedly converted the proceeds to personal use.
Penpushing further reports that the agency subsequently arraigned Gbajabiamila before the trial court on September 19, 2023, with one of the charges alleging that he, in 2021 in Lagos, stole and converted N31 million belonging to Adeyemo for his personal use.
The anti-crimes commission in another count, said Gbajabiamila forged a Sterling Bank manager’s cheque no. 21664497 dated October 20, 2021, valued at N10 million in favour of STB Building Society Limited, with intent to defraud.
Penpushing also reports that the statement said Gbajabiamila, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges, leading to a full trial, and in the course of the trial, the prosecution, led by Abdulhamid Tukur, called two witnesses and tendered several documents, all of which were admitted in evidence against the defendant.
The defence counsel T. E. Gbado asked the court to temper justice with mercy, citing his client’s remorse and status as a first-time offender, however, the judge upheld the prosecution’s case in his judgement, by convicting the defendants on all counts.
Penpushing reports that all the counts include stealing, forgery, using false documents, obtaining by false pretences and retention of proceeds of crimes, and was sentenced to various terms of imprisonment ranging from two to seven years, although with varying options of fines totalling N4.7 million.
The judge sentenced the convict to five years imprisonment on Count one (stealing), with an option of N1 million fine, she handed him seven years on Count two (obtaining by false pretences) and two years each on Counts three, four, and five (forgery), with the option of N1 million fine on each count.
Penpushing further reports that she equally sentenced him to two years on Count six (using false documents), with an option of N200,000 fine; and four years on count seven (retention of proceeds of crime), with an option of N500,000 fine.
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