The defendants are Paul Olufemi Ogunlana, Olaniyi Rufai, Dauda Bashir, Unified Luxury Homes Limited and Utopian Planning Ltd.
According to a statement by the EFCC on Thursday night, the defendants allegedly defrauded one Lucky U Odigie of the sum of N23, 000,000:00 after presenting themselves as land owners and obtained the sum from him for the purchase of the land under false pretence.
The petitioner disclosed that the defendants and their companies, approached him with a Power of Attorney to sell a parcel of land, measuring about 2.2 hectares and located at Gausa district, off airport road, Abuja, which turned out to be false.
Odigie said the defendants told him that the land belonged to them and was available for sale, which made him part with his money.
The defendants were arraigned on a two-count charge bordering on stealing by conversion to the tune, of N23, 000,000:00 (Twenty Three Million Naira ), belonging to Odigie.
The count charge read, “That you Olufemi Ogunlana, Tayo Yusuf Adeyinka, (now at large), Olaniyi Rufai, Dauda Bashir, Unified Luxury Homes Limited and Utopian Planning Ltd.
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Sometimes in 2023, within the Abuja jurisdiction of this honourable court, did agree amongst yourselves to commit an illegal act to wit: obtaining the sum of Twenty-Three Million Naira, (N23, 000,000:00 only), from Lucky. U. Odigie under the false pretence that you had authority to sell a parcel of land measuring about 2.2 hectares located at Gausa district off airport road Abuja, which representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 96 of the Penal Code Law, laws of the federation of Nigeria (Abuja), 1990 and punishable under Section 97 of the same law.”
The defendants pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them, prompting the prosecution counsel, Mariya Ujudud Sheriff, to ask the judge for the commencement of the trial.
Defence counsel, Osaretin A Uwangue, represented the 1st and 4th defendants, while S. O. Yahaya represented the 2nd defendant, and Najib Adamu, represented the 3rd and 5th defendants.
However, all the defence counsel filed applications for bail for their clients.
After listening to the submissions of all the defence counsel, Justice Nwabulu admitted the defendants to bail in the sum of N500, 000.00 each with one surety each in like sum.
According to the judge, the sureties must be civil servants not below level 12 and thereafter adjourned the matter till September 22, 2026, for commencement of trial.
