An Ikeja Magistrates Court in Lagos yesterday sentenced a 32-year-old estate agent, Suleiman Ishola, to three years imprisonment for defrauding his client of N5 million he had been given to purchase a parcel of land.
The prosecutor, Sergeant Innocent Odugbo, told the court that Ishola committed the offences with others still at large on June 3, 2013 at Park View Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos.
Odugbo said the accused conspired with others to defraud one Mrs Njoku Obiageli by forging land documents and a certificate of occupancy on the pretext of selling her a parcel of land at Park View Estate in Ikoyi.
“The accused fraudulently collected the sum of N5m through a single credit fund transfer from the complainant. Mr Obiageli alerted the police after she found out that the land documents were fake and the accused was apprehended,” the prosecutor said.
The chief magistrate, Mrs S. K. Matepo, found Ishola guilty of the three-count charge of conspiracy, forgery and stealing against him.
Matepo ruled that the convict should serve out his terms or pay a fine of N5 million.
“The accused pleaded not guilty of counts one and two and is hereby discharged and acquitted. But the accused is guilty of count three, which is stealing, and is, therefore, sentenced to three years imprisonment, or comply with the alternative to pay a sum of N5 million,” she ruled.
