Tinubu Magistrate Court.
The police in Lagos have arrested a security guard of a building on Emmanuel Abimbola Cole, in the Lekki Phase 1 area of Lagos, Sunday Okunba.
Okumba was arrested for allegedly conniving with an estate agent and others, who are still at large, to defraud a newly-married man, Abiodun Laguda, and his wife of N1m rent.
The fleeing suspects are identified as Akinwumi, the agent; an engineer, Michael Olawale and Abu.
PUNCH Metro learnt that Laguda was driving along Admiralty Road on June 28 when he saw a banner, advertising vacant apartments for rent. Akinwumi was said to have responded to him when he contacted the phone number written on the banner.
Our correspondent gathered that Akinwumi directed the victim to Abu, to inspect the purported flats. Abu, who lodged at the residence for two days, was said to have acted as another security guard of the building, which was owned by one Mr. Edet Okon.
It was learnt that Laguda, after checking the house, decided to settle for a two bedroom flat with a rent of N1.5m, and N200,000 for agency fee and commission. The parties were said to have agreed that the payment would be made twice.
However, trouble started on July 3 after the victim reportedly paid N1m into a bank account sent to him by Akinwumi. He said it occurred to him that the syndicate had duped him when he was told that the house was meant for sale.
He said, “I went for a two bedroom flat because I just got married. My wife and I met with Akinwumi at the house and he introduced us to Olawale, an old man and we agreed on N1.5m rent and N200,000 commission and agency fee.
“I called them on July 2 for means of payment and Akinwumi sent me an Access Bank account number: 0049180880, bearing Ken Mathew. I called the engineer to confirm the account details before I paid N1m on July 3. When I went to the house the following day, I met Okunba, who told me Abu had travelled. He said he was the only security man in the house and that it was for sale. Later in the afternoon, an unknown number called me and said the people I paid to were fraudsters.”
Our correspondent learnt that Okunba was arrested after the fraud was reported at the Maroko Police Division.
In his statement to the police, Okunba said Akinwumi had approached him on June 16 that he and his friend wanted to buy the building. He said Akinwumi collected his phone number and that of his boss.
He said the agent brought Abu some days later to stay with him, adding that he was only given N300.
He said, “My boss (Edet Okon), instructed me to give his number to whoever wants to buy the house. That was why I gave it to him (Akinwumi). Some days after, he brought Abu to stay with me and look after his car, which he said he parked nearby because it was faulty.
“While Abu was with me, Akinwumi brought a man (Laguda). I was not there when they were discussing. Akinwumi came, he gave me N300 only. I didn’t know about the fraud.”
He was, however, arraigned by a police prosecutor, Sergeant I. Okoti, before a Tinubu Magistrate’s Court on three counts of obtaining money under false pretences.
The charges read in part, “That you, Sunday Okunba, and others now at large, between June 28 and July 4, 2015, on Emmanuel Abimbola Cole Street, Lekki Phase 1, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did fraudulently obtain the sum of N1m from one Abiodun Laguda under the pretences of using same to rent him a two bedroom flat.”
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges
The presiding magistrate, Mrs. M. Folabi, admitted him to bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum.
The case was adjourned till August 3, 2015.
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