Friday, March 29, 2024

Five suspected land grabbers face prosecution for selling one property to two buyers

BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO

After two years of selling a plot of land to a buyer in Osun State, some suspected land grabbers popularly called ‘Omo-Onile’ in the South West part of Nigeria, have been arrested by the police for selling the same property to another buyer.

The five suspects, namely Fajuyi Sunday, 65; Segun Akande, 47; Akande Lateef Ojo, 35; Adedokun Wasiu, 42; and Ogunwoye Nathaniel, 44; were arrested by the police in connection with alleged land grabbing and fraud.
They were said to have defrauded Sheu Yunusa of the sum of N527, 000 and later sold the same property to another person who allegedly took possession of the land by erecting a fence on it.

The suspects were brought before a Magistrate’s Court sitting in Osogbo, the state capital on six-count-charge bordering on fraud, stealing, unlawfully entry into a property and threat to life.

The Police prosecutor, Inspector Temitope Fatoba, informed the court that the first buyer, Yunusa, was building a 4-bedroom flat on the land but he later discovered that two other persons who claimed to be new buyers had encroached.

The new buyers allegedly began to erect a fence round the plot of land.

The charge brought against the accused persons read that “Fajuyi Sunday, Segun Akande and Akande Lateef, sometimes in the year 2020 at Kelebe area, Osogbo, did conspire to commit felony to wit obtaining money under false pretence and stealing and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 516 of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Volume II Laws of Osun State, 2002.

“You, Fajuyi Sunday, Segun Akande, and Akande Lateef, on the same date and time, did obtain the sum of N527,000 from one Sheu Yunusa with the pretence of selling a plot of land located and lying at Idi-Ogungun, Osogbo, Iragbiji Road, with the pretense that you are the owner of it, knowing full well to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 419 of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Volume II Laws of Osun, 2002.

“You, Fajuyi Sunday, Segun Akande, and Akande Lateef, on the same date and time, did fraudulently convert the sum of N527,000, property of one Sheu Yunusa, to your own use and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 390(9) of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Volume II Laws of Osun, 2002.

“You, Adedokun Wasiu and Ogunwoye Nathaniel, sometimes in the month of February, 2002, at Idi-Ogungun/Iragbiji Road, did enter into a bedroom flat building (under construction) on a plot of land which is in actual and peaceful possession of one Sheu Yunusa by fencing same with cement blocks without any legal justification and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 81 of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Volume II Laws of Osun, 2002.

“You, Adedokun Wasiu and Ogunwoye Nathaniel, did conduct yourselves in a manner likely to cause a breach of peace by fencing round a developing 4 bedroom flat building on a plot of land, property of Sheu Yunusa, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 249(d) of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Volume II Laws of Osun, 2002.”

The prosecutor stated that Wasiu and Nathaniel threatened to kill the complainant (Yunusa) if he dared to step on the land any longer, an offence which contravened Section 86 of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Volume II Laws of Osun.

The charge further read that “You (defendants) did threaten the life one of Sheu Yunusa that you will deal with him mercilessly if he dares to come to his land where he was erecting his building at Idi-Ogungun area, Osogbo/Iragbiji Road.”

However, the defendants entered into a not guilty plea. Their lawyer, Kehinde Adepoju, urged the court to grant them bail.

Magistrate A. K. Ajala granted the accused persons bail in the sum of N500, 000 each with two sureties in the same amount and adjourned the case till November 24 for mention.

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