Justice I.O. Ijelu of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja, on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, convicted and sentenced one Abodurin Gerald Abozo to eight years imprisonment for land fraud.
Abozo was arraigned on October 15, 2023 on a two-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence, contrary to Section 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006; and stealing, contrary to Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.
Count one reads: “Abodurin Gerald Abozos (doing business in the name and style of S.G.B. & As Property Lines Company), sometime in 2013 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of N62,000,000.00 (Sixty-two Million Naira) from Engineer Samuel Segher, under the false pretext, that you have two plots of land for sale at Chevy Estate Ojomu Chieftaincy Family land, Lagos, and the said amount represented the purchase price, a representation you knew to be false.”
Count two reads: “Abodurin Gerald Abozos, (doing business in the name and style of S.G.B. & A Property Lines Company), sometime in 2013 at lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, dishonestly converted to your use the aggregate sum of N62,000, 000.00 (Sixty-two Million Naira), property of Engineer Samuel Segher".
He pleaded “not guilty” to the charges when they were read to him, thereby leading to his full trial.
In the course of trial, prosecution counsel, M. S. Owede, called two witnesses and tendered several documents, including the extra-judicial statement of the convict, which were all admitted in evidence by the court.
Delivering judgment, Justice Ijelu sentenced the defendant to seven years imprisonment on count one and one year on count two, without an option of fine.
The convict was ordered to make restitution of the sum of N62m to the victim.
Abozo’s journey to the Correctional Centre began when he was arrested for obtaining the sum of N62million from Engineer Samuel Segher in the guise of selling two plots of land to him. He neither delivered the land nor returned his money to him.