FORMER LAGOS STATE DEPUTY GOVERNOR ARRESTED OVER LAND FRAUD

The Special Fraud Unit of the Nigeria Police on
Tuesday arrested a former Deputy Governor of
Lagos State, Alhaja Sinatu Ojikutu.

The 67-year-old, who was declared wanted by the
SFU on June 19, 2013, for allegedly obtaining
N130m from one Cajethan Okekearu, under the
guise of selling a plot of land at Admiralty Way,
Lekki, Lagos, was arrested at her Lagos Island
residence.

In a statement by the SFU Commissioner of Police,
Mr.Tunde Ogunsakin, Ojikutu was said to have
allegedly connived with her son, Samson Ojikutu
Jnr, currently in the United States, to commit the
fraud.

The statement reads in part, “The suspect and
her son were parties to the sale of the land and
both signed the agreement given to Okekerau and
obtained the sum of N130m from him.

“She admitted the crime, but claimed that it was
a genuine mistake of plot identification. After
refunding N50m to Okekearu, she promised to
refund the balance as soon as she disposed her
two properties she put up for sale.

“She equally made an undertaking and payment
plan which was drawn from September, 2012 and
was to terminate by November 2012, but she
defaulted.”

It was learnt that Okekearu became aware of the
fraud after he commenced development on the
land. He was said to be on the verge of
completing the building when the bonafide owner
of the land surfaced.

It was later discovered that the land which the ex-
deputy governor sold did not belong to her. She
actually sold Plot 23 Block 4, said to belong to one
Mr. Afolabi, while her plot, 24 Block 4, already had
a property on it.

It was also discovered that the plot belonged to
late Samson Ojikutu Snr, the suspect’s husband
who died in 2008. The plot was sold by him in
1995, while the suspect appended her signature to
the sale of the land.

The statement added, “It will be recalled that the
suspect sued the Inspector-General of Police, the
Commissioner of Police, SFU and the complainants
in the State High Court at Igbosere, Lagos, with
Suit No. M/581/2013, praying the court to restrain
the police from further investigation into the
matter and violation of fundamental human right.

“The ruling by Justice Obadina on December 17,
2013, dismissed the suit for lack of merit, saying
the Nigeria Police has the power to prosecute the
applicants, Sinatu and her son, Samson, since the
police investigation revealed that there is prima-
facie case of obtaining by false pretences against
them and added that the court would not interfere
or restrain the police from carrying out their
statutory function.”

SOURCE: The Punch.